The Aulos

The aulos was popular in both the public and private sphere ( Landels, 1 ). The two-piped instrument was often found at symposia, during which  auletrides  entertained guests. The aulos might also have been part of the education program ( Plut. Alc. 3 ). In other public settings such as workplaces and gymnasia, the sound of the aulos was used to regulate movements ( Aristoph. Ach. 541 ;  Paus. 4.27 ;  West, 30 ). On sea voyages, the instrument served the same purpose; this function was executed by the  trieraules  ( West, 29 ). Like the  kithara , the aulos was also found in processions and musical contests ( Landels, 3 ).

In short, the aulos was a versatile instrument, used in many contexts. Perhaps because of this diversity, the base material of the pipes varied quite significantly. In later times, sacrificial auloi used by the Tuscans were made of boxwood, while auloi used at the games were made from nettle-wood, donkey bones, or silver ( Plin. Nat. 16.66 ). When tracing base materials for aulos materials, everything from reed to ivory should be considered.

Reed was used for the mouthpieces. Due to the fan-shaped size which is sporadically visible on pottery depictions, the reeds are thought to have been double-reeds. That means that a double layer of reeds was used, through which an air flow is forced. In addition to Theophrastus' account on the production of mouthpieces, some textual evidence has survived with popular reed harvesting locations ( Enquiry into Plants, IV. Xi, 4-9 ). Both Arundo Donax and Phragmites Australis were likely reed type candidates for mouthpieces ( Brown ).

Return to the main story below:

• Brown, Barnaby. “ Phragmites Australis vs Arundo Donax ,” September 16, 2019. http://www.doublepipes.info/phragmites-vs-arundo/.
• Landels, John G.  Music in Ancient Greece and Rome . London and New York: Routledge, 1999.
• West, Martin Lichtfield.  Ancient Greek Music . Clarendon Press, 1992.