The Greeks “dwelt with beauty” and believed it to be a part of being good, and they strove to make everything beautiful. Beauty to the Greeks was a religion. Had this not been so, we would not have the Venus de Milo, the Parthenon in Athens, the Hermes, the Winged Victory (Niké of Samothrace) and all the other Greek masterpieces which no modern sculptor or builder has surpassed.
It is interesting to see a nation 400 years before the time of Christ and even earlier, making glorious art works in stone, and writing the greatest plays the world has ever had, being more grown up than modern nations, and yet as far as we know an infant in the art of music. We have only the slightest idea of how their music sounded as they had no accurate way of writing it, and had only very primitive instruments. Although when compared to their other arts their music was not great, still it was very important to them and they used it constantly with poetry, dancing, and in the drama.
The word music was first used by the Greeks and has been carried into nearly every language; we find musique in French, Musik in German, musica in Italian, and so on.
Music, according to the Greeks, was an art which combined not only the playing of instruments, singing and dancing, but also all the arts and sciences, including mathematics and everything in the universe. It took its name from the Muses, and they believed that it led to the beautiful accord and harmony of the world.
The nine Muses were daughters of Jupiter, and each presided over some particular department of literature, art and science.
Clio: Muse of History and Epic Poetry. She is shown in statues and pictures holding a half open scroll.
Thalia: Muse of Joy and Comedy (drama) with a comic mask in one hand and a crooked staff in the other.
Erato: Muse of Lyric Poetry, inspired those who wrote of love. She plays on a nine-stringed lyre.
Euterpe: Muse of Lyric Song, patroness of music especially of flute players. She holds two flutes (auloi).
Polyhymnia: Muse of Sacred Song. She holds her forefinger to her lips or carries a scroll.