1. Origin – naming

The barbitos is a stringed musical instrument which originated in Asia Minor. The Attic name “barbitos” is most commonly used but it is also found referred to as “barmos” and “baromos” (in the Aeolian dialect), and in the neuter as “barbiton”, “barmiton” or “barymiton”.¹According to Strabo, the name is not Greek. Linguists believe the term has a Phrygian origin, although a different non-Indo-European origin cannot be ruled out.² Three derivatives are also encountered: “barbistes”, “philobarbitos”, which is used by the Athenian Critias to describe Anacreon, and the verb “barbatizein”.³ The first reference to the instrument is found in an excerpt by Alcaeus. Pindar, however, ascribes its invention to the Lesbian 7th c. BC poet Terpandros, who was inspired by the unknown Lydian instrument “piktis”. Certain sources ascribe the invention of the babritos to Anacreon, while the instrument is also linked to other famous poets such as Sappho, Bacchylides and Simonides from Kos, something which demonstrates its use in accompanying lyrical poetry.⁴ The barbitos became known in mainland Greece at around 520 BC, the period during which Anacreon took refuge in Athens after fleeing Samos.

2. Representations – description – function

The barbitos is only known from representations. It was identified already in the 18th c. with the instrument held by Alcaeus and Sappho on an Attic red-figure kalathos in Munich. It is connected mainly with Anacreon and his followers in a group of around 70 vessels, while the poet’s name is inscribed on the instrument represented on a crater in fragmentary condition now in Copenhagen.⁵ The barbitos was a particularly popular theme in Attic vase painting until 430 BC, accompanying komasts and symposiasts, even women musicians,⁶ as well as gods and mythological figures connected to music, singing and the symposium.⁷Aristotle excluded the barbitos from the education of the youth as it was destined only for recreation and indeed, there are very few representations showing the teaching of the instrument in music schools.⁸ Outside Attica the barbitos is found on engraved gems and rings in eastern Greece, on wall-paintings in the tomb of the Diver in Poseidonia, on certain red-figure vessels from South Italy and, more rarely, on Etruscan works of art.⁹

Typologically it is connected to the common lyre with which it shared several features: the turtle-shell, wood or bronze resonator covered by animal skin, the wrest and the bridge upon which the strings rested on the resonator, the zygon, a cylindrical component positioned transversely upon which the holes for the rivets or keys were and through which four to eight (usually seven) strings passed. The most important difference between the two instruments was the longer length of the barbitos’ necks, which reached 70cm, ¾ of the total length of the instrument. In eight black-figure Attic vessels from the end of the 6th c. BC, the necks are not oblong but wavy.¹⁰ Tuning happened by turning the rivets with the right hand while the left strung the strings with the plectrum, testing the sound.

Thanks to its longer necks, the barbitos produced music of extremely low tonality, appropriate for accompanying the male voice. Its sound was clear and sounded like a bird’s song although because of its relatively small resonator it was not very loud.¹¹ Thus, the instrument was appropriate for accompanying songs but also dancing. The musician held the instrument tightly beneath the left armpit at a 45 degree angle or even in a horizontal position. He struck the strings with a plectrum – made of bone, bronze or ivory – which was held in the right hand and which was attached by a cord to one of the instrument’s necks. This position allowed the musician to play the instrument seated or standing or even in movement or lying down.