Tibia (reedpipe)

Tibia or tibiae (Latin, singular and plural) were musical instruments of ancient Rome equivalent to Greek ''aulos'' (αὐλός). In Roman culture, the word stood for reedpipes and possibly duct flutes and trumpets. The word is similar to the English word ''pipes'', in that — while it describes instruments that are blown through at the musician's mouth and have fingerholes to choose notes — the word lumps together different instruments which today would be put into different classes. ''Pipes'' in English can mean either reedpipes or duct flutes. Similarly, single-reed clarinets, double-reed shawms, duct flutes and lip sounded trumpets are all possibly described by the word ''tibia''.

''Tibia'' were used for religious ceremony in ancient Rome.

The family of single and double-reed tipped instruments includes the aulos, arghul, balaban, bülban, cifte, dili tuiduk, diplica, dozaleh, duduk, launeddas, mey, pilili, pku, sipsi, triple pipes and zummara, as well as modern reed instruments such as bassoons, clarinets, oboes and shawms.

Construction

Tibia were constructed of materials which were naturally hollow tubes or could be hollowed out, including "reed, cane, box-wood, horn, metal, and the tibia or shin-bone of some birds and animals."

The name is related to the word for bones of birds and animals, and possibly came from use of these in musical instruments. This practice is still in used in the Middle East and Central Asia in the Ghoshmeh.

''Tibiae'' and ''aulos'' were played with double reeds, kept in a separate box.

''Tibia curva'', reedpipe

File:Tibia 6.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 663.jpg, ''Tibia curva'' (ἔλυμος). Boxwood body with curved section "like a horn" attached to the end. " Phrygian pipe. Used in ceremonies of Cybele.
File:Jeduthun, playing a musical instrument with King David, from the Vivian Bible, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, Latin 1, folio 215v.jpg, 845 A.D., Carolingian Empire. ''Tibia curva''.
File:Rilievo con corteo funebre, 20 ac-20 dc ca., da amiternum, 06 musici.jpg, Roman soldiers with cornus and a tiba curva.
File:Tibia 6.2 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 663.jpg, The ''tibia curva'' sometimes was illustrated with a "double branch". Possibly an instrument like the zamar, two double pipes bound together.
File:Zammar.jpg, ''Zamar'', used in parts of Morocco and Algeria
File:Maenad with tibia.jpg, Circa 220 A.D, Cologne, Germany (former Roman Empire). Image of a maenad playing a tibia curva as part of a pair of tibia. ''Dionysosmosaik'' "Römisch-Germanisches Museum", Cologne, Germany.
File:Tibia curva, from Lares and Genius, fragment, Pompeii, Archaeological Park, House of Cipius Pamphilus Felix (VII. 6. 38)., Fourth style, 69—79 CE, Inv. No 8905.jpg, 69-79 A.D., Pompeii. Tibia curva, from House of Cipius Pamphilus Felix (VII. 6. 38). Inv. No 8905

''Tibia pares'', double reedpipe

File:Danseurs et musiciens, tombe des léopards.jpg, 475 B.C., Italian peninsula, Etruscans. Among those who became part of the Roman Empire were the Etruscans, who had their own double reedpipes. Same style as the Greek aulos.
File:Tibia 7.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 663.jpg, ''Tibiae pares'' (ζεύγη). "A pair of pipes, of equal length and bore, both of which produced the same tone, viz. both base or both treble." These were held, one in each hand and played together by that musician. Had a double reed bundle, inserted into the pipe's end.
File:Palestra grande di pompei, affreschi di Moregine, primo triclinio , IV stile, epoca neroniana, le muse 05 euterpe.jpg, Middle of the 1st century A.D., Pompeii. Euterpe with tibiae. The reeds are visible in one of the instruments.

File:Tibia MET DP314168.jpg, circa 1-500 A.D., Syria. Tibia of silver and ivory. A single pipe of a ''tibiae pares'' pair. Side view.
File:Tibia MET DP302569.jpg, circa 1-500 A.D., Syria. Tibia of silver and ivory. A single pipe of a ''tibiae pares'' pair. End view, where the 2-reed bundle was insterted.
File:Raphael - Attributed to - Female Figure with a Tibia, and Ornamental Studies (recto), 88.GA.90.jpg, ''Tibiae pares'' in the hands of a female musician.
File:Tibia, ca. 290–300 AD., Tuscany, from the Sarcophagus Apollo Marsyas Louvre Ma2347.jpg, Circa 290–300 AD., Tuscany. Tibia in the style of the metal tibiae, from the Sarcophagus Apollo Marsyas Louvre Ma2347
File:Roman sacrifice Louvre Ma992.jpg, ''Tibia pares'', pipes of equal length. These are short, giving higher (treble) pitch.
File:Pompeii - Villa del Cicerone - Street Musicians Detail 2 - MAN.jpg, Street musician, Pompeii. Apparent reed or wood-bodied instrument.

File:Tambourine aulos players Louvre CA6819.jpg, 2nd-3rd century A.D., Roman Syria. Tibia and tambourine players
File:Terracotta figurine of a musician playing a tibia, Nea Paphos, Cyprus-DSC09994.jpg, 58 B.D. - 395 A.D., Cyprus
File:Wall painting - concert - Herculaneum (ins or II - palaestra) - Napoli MAN 9021.jpg, Actress singing, actor playing tibiae, girl playing cithara. Antique fresco in Herculaneum. Tibia appears to be wood or reed-bodied, without raised fingerholes of metal tibiae.
File:Detail of the Vichten mosaic depicting the mythological and literary theme of the nine Muses, Euterpe Muse of music and lyric poetry, c. 240 AD, National Museum of History and Art, Luxembourg.jpg, Circa 240 A.D. Euterpe playing tibiae.
File:Platter with Bacchic decoration, Mildenhall, 300s AD, silver - British Museum - DSC01389.jpg, 4th century A.D., England. Woman playing tibia, beside Pan (playing panpipes). Bacchic artwork found buried in Mildenhall.

''Tibia impares'', double reedpipe

File:Tibia 8.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 663.jpg, ''Tibiae impares'' were two pipes of different lengths, the longer ''Tibia dextra'' creating bass notes, the shorter ''Tibia sinistra'' producing treble notes.

File:Tibia 9.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 663.jpg, ''Tibia dextra'' (αὐλός ἀνδρήϊος), the bass pipe held in the player's right hand, "made from the upper part of the reed or cane." ''Tibia sinistra'' (αὐλός γυναικειος), the treble pipe held in the player's left hand, "made of the lower part of the reed or cane near the roots," produced sharp or treble notes (''acuto tinnitu'').
File:Lyon 5e - Musée Lugdunum - Exposition SPECTACULAIRE - Reconstruction d'une tibia.jpg, Recreation of tibia pipes of slightly different lengths.
File:Coffin floorboard depicting Isis being served wine by the deceased, Egypt, Roman Period, 30 BC - AD 324 - Royal Ontario Museum - DSC09735.JPG, 30 B.C. - 324 A.D. (Roman period in Egypt). Reedpipes of unequal length. Tibicen performing for Isis in funerary art from Roman Egypt ''(Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto)''.
File:Tibia, from the Mosaic of the Female Musicians, Mariamin.jpg, 4th century A.D., Mariamin, Syria (part of Byzantine Empire). Tibia, from the Mosaic of the Female Musicians, Mariamin

''Tibia obliqua, tibia vasca'', reedpipe

File:Tibia 3.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 662.jpg, ''Tibia obliqua'' (πλαγίαυλος). Reeds inserted on side of pipe like bassoon. Illustration from a bas-relief in the Vatican.
File:Tibia obliqua, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number 89.4.1797.jpg, 100 BC–200 AD?, Rome. ''Tibia obliqua''. Double reed, bone body, 1 foot 2 inches long, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889, object Number: 89.4.1797
File:Tibia 4.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 662.jpg, ''Tibia vasca''. Like the ''tibia obliqua'' but shorter, body made from reed or cane, mouthpiece perpendicular to body at the end, reed mouthpiece shaped to modulate tones.

''Monaulos''

File:Tibia 1.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 662.jpg, ''Monaulos'' (μοναυλος) single aulos. Played in Ptolemaic Egypt. Possibly this was a duct flute, "something like the modern '' flageolet''."
File:Bas relief from Arch of Marcus Aurelius showing sacrifice.jpg, Tibia player in scene of ''Bas relief from Arch of Marcus Aurelius showing sacrifice''

Other tibia

File:Tibia 5.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 663.jpg, ''Tibia longa''. Illustrated with an apparent trumpet mouthpiece (which would make it a tuba), that could also be the holder for a double-reed bundle. Instruments could be as long as the musicians. "Employed in religious ceremonies, in the temples, and at the sacrifice, to emit a loud and solemn strain during libations."

File:Tibia 2.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 662.jpg, ''Tibia gingrina'' (γίγγρας) or gingras, simple reed pipe ( single reed), shrill note like a fife, used in Phoenicia and Egypt. Egyptian tomb discoveries are 9 to 18 inches in length.

Classes of tibia-playing musicians

File:Tibicen 1.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 664.jpg, ''Tibi'cen'' (αὐλητης), tibia pipers, formed professional corporation, played at festivals and religious "solemnities." The musician wears a ''capistrum'' (also called ''phorbeiá'' and ''peristomion''), a band that covered the musician's mouth and cheeks; the band supported the musician's cheeks as he breathed through the nose ( pushing air through his cheeks, even as he breathed in).
File:Tibicina 1.1 - Anthony Rich, Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon, p. 665.jpg, ''Tibi'cina'' (αὐλητρίς), female pipers, hired for "dinner parties and festive entertainments."
File:Mosaic depicting female Tibi'cina (tibia player) from House of Dionysus in Volubilis Morocco, modified for color 3.jpg, 3rd century A.D. Mosaic depicting Tibi'cina or maenad from the House of Dionysus in Volubilis Morocco, part of the Roman Empire.
File:Rilievo con corteo funebre, 20 ac-20 dc ca., da amiternum, 07 portantina.jpg, Late 1st century B.C. - early 1st century A.D., Amiternum, Tibicens playing in procession.
File:Double aulos and the oksivafon, detail from Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Theol Greek 31, folio 17v, 6th century.jpg, 6th century A.D., Roman Syria. Musicians entertaining at a party with tibia and oksivafon (metalic bowls struck as bells).

References

*

{{Double reed

Ancient Roman musical instruments
Double-reed instruments
Single-reed instruments