Aristides Quintilianus c. 250 – c. 350
Aristides Quintilianus (c. 250 – c. 350) was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era, associated with Platonism and Hellenistic.
Aristides Quintilianus was a Greek philosophical music theorist of late antiquity, the author of the most extensive surviving ancient treatise on music, On Music in three books, in which the technical theory of harmonics, rhythm, and meter is set within a Neoplatonic philosophical anthropology. His three books treat respectively the technical, the political-ethical, and the theological dimensions of music, and culminate in a sustained argument for the moral and contemplative power of music in shaping the human soul. His work is the principal source for our knowledge of the lost Damonian and Aristoxenian traditions of Greek musical thought.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Greek
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Platonism, Hellenistic
Selected quotes
-
Attributed to Aristides Quintilianus:
“Music is the divine ordering principle of the soul as it is of the cosmos.”
-
Attributed to Aristides Quintilianus:
“He who has not studied music has not yet studied himself.”
-
Attributed to Aristides Quintilianus:
“The harmonic ratios that please the ear also please the soul; the soul is harmonic.”
-
Attributed to Aristides Quintilianus:
“Music shapes the city as the laws shape the city; both are forms of education.”
-
Attributed to Aristides Quintilianus:
“Where the right notes meet the right words, the soul ascends.”
Frequently asked about Aristides Quintilianus
- When did Aristides Quintilianus live?
- Aristides Quintilianus was born in c. 250 and died in c. 350.
- Where was Aristides Quintilianus from?
- Aristides Quintilianus was a Greek philosopher of the Ancient era.
- What philosophical movements is Aristides Quintilianus associated with?
- Aristides Quintilianus was associated with Platonism and Hellenistic.
- What was Aristides Quintilianus known for?
- Aristides Quintilianus was a Greek philosophical music theorist of late antiquity, the author of the most extensive surviving ancient treatise on music, On Music in three books, in which the technical theory of harmonics, rhythm, and meter is set within a Neoplatonic philosophical anthropology.
- How many quotes are attributed to Aristides Quintilianus?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Aristides Quintilianus in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.