The Oldest Complete Song
A man named Seikilos carved a short song on a gravestone 2,000 years ago, with the notes marked above the words. It can still be sung.
What was reported
In 1883, a marble column was found near the ancient city of Tralles, today's Aydın. It carries a short song in Greek, with musical notation written above the lines, put up by a man named Seikilos, perhaps for his wife.
The words say: 'While you live, shine; let nothing grieve you at all. Life lasts only a little while, and time demands its due.' It's the oldest surviving musical composition that is complete, with its tune and words.
Explanations offered
Older pieces of music survive in fragments, like the Hurrian hymn from Ugarit. Musicians have reconstructed the tune from its notation, and it's often performed. The column itself had a strange afterlife: its base was cut down and it was used as a stand for a flowerpot, before reaching the National Museum of Denmark.
- When
- Carved about 2,000 years ago; found in 1883
- Where
- Near Aydın, Türkiye
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists and musicians
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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