Music has been an integral part of virtually every culture, so it is quite natural for people to have

written about this subject. More literature has survived than actual music, which leaves modern

scholars with the job of translating, interpreting, and trying to understand the writings of people

prior to modern musical notation. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius wrote and translated many

books on subjects he felt were important to the education of future generations. Of particular

interest is his book, The Fundamentals of Music (De institutione musica). Even though this book

is no longer used as a basis for music education, it has had a lasting impact on music history and

Boethius was born either in or around Rome sometime around the year 480 AD. His father

died when he was only seven, and he was taken in and raised by one of the wealthiest aristocrats

of the time, Symmachus. Boethius received an exceptional education, married Symmachus's

daughter, and led an esteemed career as a politician, writer, and scholar until he was imprisoned

and executed in 524. "Boethius's works may be divided into four cat

"one of these is the classic comparison of a wave of sound with the wave caused in water by a

all knowledge is built on previous knowledge, and Boethius's theory is quite a landmark. Not

mythological gods and astronomy. Boethius also wrote about the Greek beliefs in various modes

Even though these observations were probably his most accurate by modern standards, his

these, and it is evident from his writings that he was firmly convinced of the system's validity.3"

religion. For centuries, Fundamentals of Music was considered the authoritative document on

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Approximate Word count = 1881
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)