The Greek music history could be divided into two great periods, the mythological and the historical. The mythological period covers all the traditions and legends, including the Olympiads. The historical period stretches from 776 B.C. to 161 A.D.
The Greeks were in love with music and it formed an integral part of their lives. Ancient greek music ( ?????? ???????? ??????? ) was inspired from emotions and therefore they thought of it as a way to honour the gods with. Back then, there was no way of writing music. According to the historical accounts, the Greeks used pipes, lyres, cymbals as well as drums.
The pipes were made out of reeds or wood with some kind of hole cut into them to insert your fingers and play the tune. A few Greeks played it sideways like a flute whereas a few played it vertically like recorder. Many a times, traditional greek music ( ??????????? ???????? ??????? ) was played using more than one pipe. The Greeks rejoiced in the loud and a lively way, playing drums and pipes, at the time of worshipping “Dionysos”, the god of parties and wine.
The Greeks also made use of lyres, which may have sounded like the modern day guitar. If we happen to believe the Greek story, the first lyre was made out of the turtle shell by the Greek god Hermes, who then gave it to the god of reason, Apollo.