and to implant in their souls true conceptions of good and evil. Music is a gift of the Gods to men, and was never intended, ‘as the many foolishly and blasphemously suppose,’ merely to give us an idle pleasure (Tim. 47 E; Laws 2. 654, 658 E; 7. 802 D). Neither should a freeman aim at attaining perfect execution [cp. Arist. Pol. viii. 6, §§ 7, 15]: in the Laws (7. 810) we are told that every one must go through the three years course of music, ‘neither more nor less, whether he like or whether he dislike the study.’ Both instruments and music are to be of a simple character: in the Republic only the lyre, the pipe, and the flute are tolerated, and the Dorian and Phrygian harmonies. No change in the fashions of music is permitted; for where there is licence in music there will be anarchy in the state. In this desire for simplicity and fixity in music Plato was probably opposed to the tendencies of his own age. The severe harmony which had once characterized Hellenic art was passing out of favour: alike in architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, and music, richer and more ornate styles prevailed. We regard the change as inevitable, and not perhaps wholly to be regretted: to Plato it was a cause rather than a sign of the decline of Hellas.*]
Musical amateurs, 5. 475;
—education, 2. 377; 3. 398 foll.; 7. 522 A;
—instruments, the more complex kinds of, rejected, 3. 399 [cp. Laws 7. 812 D];
—modes, ib. 397–399; changes in, involve changes in the laws, 4. 424 C.
Mysteries, 2. 365 A, 366 A, 378 A; 8. 560 E.
Mythology, misrepresentations of the gods in, 2. 378 foll.; 3. 388 foll., 408 C (cp. Gods); like poetry, has an imitative character, 3. 392 D foll.