Humanitext Reader

Theophrastus · Fragments §90.1

Pain, Pleasure, and Enthusiasm as the Principles of Music

Passage 99 of 196 · Greek

Summary

Theophrastus, in *On Music*, proposes pain, pleasure, and enthusiasm as the three principles of music, explaining that each of these alters the voice from its usual state.

§90.1Fr. 90 Θ. περὶ μουσικῆς ἀρχὰς μουσικῆς τρεῖς εἶναι λέγει, λύπην ἡδονὴν ἐνθουσιασμὸν, ὡς ἑκάστου τούτων παρατρέποντος ἐκ τοῦ συνήθους καὶ ἐγκλίνοντος τὴν φωνήν.
Fr. 90 Θ., in *On Music*, says that there are three principles of music: pain, pleasure, and enthusiasm, on the grounds that each of these diverts the voice from its usual state and inflects it.

Notes

  1. §90.1Θ. — "Θ." is an abbreviation for Theophrastus (Θεόφραστος), referring to his treatise *On Music* (περὶ μουσικῆς) which is cited here.
  2. §90.1ὡς ἑκάστου τούτων παρατρέποντος ἐκ τοῦ συνήθους καὶ ἐγκλίνοντος τὴν φωνήν — The conjunction `ὡς` followed by the genitive absolute construction (subject `ἑκάστου τούτων`, participles `παρατρέποντος` and `ἐγκλίνοντος`) expresses the subjective reason offered by the cited authority (Theophrastus), meaning "on the grounds that each of these..." or "asserting that each..."
  3. §90.1ἐκ τοῦ συνήθους — The preposition `ἐκ` (from) combined with the articular neuter singular adjective `τὸ σύνηθες` (the usual, the customary state) indicates deviation from the normal or unexcited state of the voice.

Cite this passage

Theophrastus, Fragments §90.1. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0093.tlg010x09.humanitext-grc1:90.1

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