The Seikilos Song: the Oldest Complete Song from Ancient Greece

Ancient History Encyclopedia ^ | June 8, 2015 | editors

[SunkenCiv]

The Seikilos Stele contains the the oldest complete song and dates to c.100 BCE. This video explores how the stele was found and how the song sounds; it is sung at 2:28.

As long as you live,
shine forth do not at all grieve,
Life exists for a short while,
Time takes its course.

Hoson zēis phainou
mēden holōs su lupou
pros oligon esti to zēn
to telos ho chronos apaitei.

[SunkenCiv]

My first stop would be ancient Alexandria, and just for starters for the music. I'd really love to hear Alexandria's Ragtime Band.

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]

My pleasure.

[SunkenCiv]

It reminds me somewhat of the medieval troubadour stuff that was common in southern France.

[SunkenCiv]

The Sweetness of honey and the sting of bees : a book of love from the ancient Mediterranean
selected and translated by Michelle Lovric and Nikiforos Doxiadis Mardas
https://www.worldcat.org/title/sweetness-of-honey-and-the-sting-of-bees-a-book-of-love-from-the-ancient-mediterranean/oclc/37574898

[a fool in paradise]

surprised the EUSSR hasn’t issued a “take down notice” for music copyright infraction!

[a fool in paradise]

It’s all Greek to me

[a fool in paradise]

>>Or maybe ED meds.

[a fool in paradise]

>>The second a safe, quality time machine is invented, I’m going back to introduce doo-wop to the ancient world. I think they’ll appreciate it.

Rubber biscuit???

Boww wow wow wowwwww oooooohhhhhhhhh

Or are you more thinking along the lines of "The Wind" by the Diablos?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UikYboldB6U

[a fool in paradise]

>> I'd really love to hear Alexandria's Ragtime Band.

Backstage you'd probably find a groupie named Helen Thomas

[P.O.E.]

[Adder]

As long as you live,
shine forth do not at all grieve,
Life exists for a short while,
Time takes its course.

Don’t fear the reaper...

or

Burma Shave

[grey_whiskers]

+1

[COBOL2Java]

Man, that must have been some big Edison Phonograph they had to build to play that!

[Larry Lucido]

“Oh, now I get it!”

[Larry Lucido]

"'Egyptian Springwear line'? I think not."

[MinuteGal]

Great poem....you rival Ovid himself.

Leni

[JennysCool]

Ancient Greece might enjoy a little “Grease,” come to think of it ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDNqPypr9ec

[SunkenCiv]

How many ancient Greek musicians does it take to play the Seikilos Song?

Two, one to play and sing it, and one to turn it back and forth.

[SunkenCiv]

“Nice megaron.”

“Oh, this isn’t my megaron, this is just a place to flop.”