Roman Music

The ancient Romans didn't have radios to turn on when they wanted to hear music, so they had to make it themselves. Read on to learn more about music in ancient Rome.

How did they make music?

Romans thought of music as a hobby. There were no professional singers, but some Romans knew how to play instruments very well. The most popular Roman instrument was the lyre. Below is a picture of a lyre. Notice that it is made with a turtle shell and strings. The lyre made a sound similar to the sound that a guitar makes.

photo courtesy of All Souls School British Museum, Ancient Greeks Virtual Tour