The history of the hydraulis
The water-organ called “hydraulis” was a product of the advanced urban lifestyle of the ancient Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Ctesibius, one of the most famous engineers of his time, built the first organ, which was operated by compressed air that was first channeled through a container of water to equalize the pressure. The sound emerged from a row of pipes of different lengths.
Musicians with horns and a water organ, detail from the Zliten mosaic, 2nd century AD
Parallel rows of pipes were subsequently added to give a polyphonic effect. Its powerful and pleasant sound made the water-organ very popular, and it was soon to be found in temples, theatres, hippodromes, fairs, and even the Roman imperial court. Amidst the chaos of barbarian raids, the water-organ was subsequently abandoned and forgotten in the West. But the Byzantine court retained it in a more advanced form which did not require the use of water, and it eventually became an eblem of state.
Youtube video: How does a Hydraulis work?
The ancient hydraulis was played by hand, not automatically by the water-flow; the keys were balanced and could be played with a light touch, as is clear from the reference in a Latin poem by Claudian (late 4th century), who uses this very phrase (magna levi detrudens murmura tactu . . . intonet, “let him thunder forth as he presses out mighty roarings with a light touch”)
Youtube video: Hydraulis, the Seikilos song, oldest song from ancient Greece:
The hydraulis of Dion
In 1992, the remains of a 1st-century BC hydraulis were found at Dion, an ancient Macedonian city near Mount Olympus, Greece, during excavations under Prof. D. Pantermalis. This instrument consisted of 24 open pipes of different height with a conical lower ending.
The first 19 pipes have a height from 89 to 22 cm (35 to 8 inches). Their inner diameter gradually decreases from 2 to 1.5 cm. These 19 pipes correspond to the "perfect system" of the ancient Greek music which consisted of one chromatic and one diatonic scale.
Hydraulis, 1st century BC, Archaeological Museum of Dion, Greece
The pipes No. 20 to 24 are smaller and almost equal in height and they seem to form an extension of the diatonic scale. The conical end of the pipes is inserted in a metal plate. At a point just before the narrowing part of every pipe there is an opening producing the turbulence of the pressurized air and the sound. The pipes are stabilized by two metal plates. The one facing outwards has decorative motifs. The instrument had one row of keys. The lower part of the organ, with the air-pressing system, was missing.
The replica of the hydraulis.
In 1995 a reconstruction project started, and by 1999 a working replica of hydraulis was made based on the archaeological finding and on ancient descriptions. The remains of the ancient hydraulis are exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Dion.
