Upbringing by Music and Theatre in Antique Greek Pedagogical Culture

About the authors:

Victoria K. Pichugina, Dr. Sci. (Ped.), Leading Researcher, Centre of History of Pedagogy and Education, Institute for Strategy of Education Development, the Russian Academy of Education (Moscow); pichugina_v@mail.ru

Svetlana Yu. Krykhtina, Cand. Sci. (Ped.), Lecturer, Children’s Music School no 1 (Volgograd); fotina-sk@mail.ru

Abstract:

This article questions the ideology, theory, and practice of education by music and theater in ancient Greece. One of the basic postulates in ancient Greek teaching methodology states that music is one of the mathematical sciences, which is ideal for both primary education of children, and for the education of youth and even adults. Ancient Greek authors of different periods formulated original ideas about teaching music and education through music. Theater music was a special genre that dangerously changed the tradition of classical music education. Combined with the text of the ancient Greek drama, theatrical music had a strong educational influence on the viewer. The writings of Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch, and other ancient Greek authors emphasized that learning music and attending a theater were a duty in a person’s education; and the learning music and theater was a need that often emerged at a later age after graduation.

This idea was actively adopted and developed by ancient Roman authors (in particular, Cicero and Quintilian), who affirmed the value of education for their fellow citizens according to the Greek model. The theoretical reasoning of the ancient Greek authors about music education often not only clashed with the existent practice of musical education, but also placed music and theater in some educational opposition to each other. However, the peculiarity of the ancient Greek pedagogical culture was that music and theater were considered as equivalent tools of familiarizing the student with a virtuous life over the centuries.

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