Archytas of Mytilene

Ancient Greek musician

Archytas (Ancient Greek: Ἀρχύτας) of Mytilene was a celebrated musician of ancient Greece. In his "Life of Archytas", Diogenes Laërtius says that there were four, perhaps five men of this name; Archytas of Tarentum, a polymath and disciple of Pythagoras, was the main subject of the biography, but Diogenes mentions Archytas of Mytilene second, and relates an anecdote about the musician: that once when criticized for speaking too softly, he replied, "my instrument speaks for me".[1]

In the Deipnosophistae, Athenaeus of Naucratis mentions that Archytas wrote an essay on flute playing, Περὶ Αὐλῶν (Peri Aulon, "about flutes"); but here the musician seems to be identified with Archytas of Tarentum. Athenaeus says that Archytas was a flute player, like many Pythagoreans.[2] Whether Peri Aulon is the work of the musician or the philosopher is uncertain.[3][4]

## References

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1. ^ Diogenes Laërtius, "The Life of Archytas", v. (p. 370, trans. Yonge).
2. ^ Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae, 13.600 ff., iv. p. 184e (p. 286, trans. Yonge).
3. ^ Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, vol. I, p. 273 ("Archytas, of Mytilene").
4. ^ PW, "Archytas", No. 4.

## Bibliography

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* Diogenes Laërtius, Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers.
* Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae.
* Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849).
* August Pauly, Georg Wissowa, et alii, Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft (Scientific Encyclopedia of the Knowledge of Classical Antiquities, abbreviated RE or PW), J. B. Metzler, Stuttgart (1894–1980).

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