The ancient Hellenic kitara

2018 is off to a running start, so I am going to have to leave you with some music today. This is a video of Ancient Hellenic music played on an instrument called the kitara. The kithara was an ancient Hellenic musical instrument in the lyre or lyra family. It was a professional version of the folkish two-stringed lyre. Musicians who played the kitara were called 'kitharodes'. The kithara's origins are likely Asiatic. The barbiton was a bass version of the kithara. In modern Greek the word kithara has come to mean 'guitar', making that the closest modern equivalent, although the sounds are quite different.

This is an example of what a lament or drone would sound like in the ancient temples and open air meeting places. Played by expert ancient musician Peter Pringle on a hand made kithara, modeled after depictions on ancient vases and murals from the time of ancient Hellas.