New-York tribune., 1899-06-11
OLD-TIME MUSICAL GAMES.
THE COTTABOS AS PRACTISED BY THE
GREEKS.
OTHER PICTURESQUE ADJUSTMENTS WITH MUSIC
-GROTESQUE MEDIEVAL GAMES.

-GRoTESQUE MEDIEVAL GAMES.
F. Rowbotham, in Good Words.
We have changed for the worse in modern
times, since have abolished or rather suf-
fcrcd to ldnguish into oblivion those interest
ing and excellent pastimes of antiquity which
were known as Musical Games" At the pres
cnt hour, If search through the whole hemi-
sphere Of innocent pleasure. shall look in
vain for anything approaching them In char
acter or In designation excepting always the
rustic and time honored sport of the musical
chairs" which belongs too much to the nursery
to be allowed to count.
The world has become considerably the poorer
by this dropping out Of a delightful and artistic
species Of recreation. which is but i'll replaced
by the bagatele cue, the card table and the
game Of Hama.
The most popular musical game Of antiquity
was that known as "the cottabos." Its origin
is very difficult to trace; also from what cOun-
try it primarily derived But in Greece ir
the early classical times it was already very
popular, and became more and more as the
luxury Of cities advanced and wealth brought
leisure to the citizens
In many parts Of the Greek world. but more
especially in Sicily, where magnificence and
Tense reached their height in the great cities of
Tarentum and CrOtona. buildings used To be
erected like our racquet courts and hves courts.
and of about the same size as the former, for
the express purpose of playing this musical
game although il also played in private
houses as we'll All Gay long the game pro-
ceeded. being taken up by various parties Of
players. who succeeded one another in their
tenancy of the court. which constructed as
follows
Ike cur racquet court. but toward end. and
in the Certre toward that end. fixed large
marble basin full of water Floating in this
marble basin was a small vase basin OF
metal often Of silver and sometimes Of the
best bronze. At so many PAGES away from the
marble basin chalk line was drawn on the
floor. and the players when they began to com
pete tOed il. A band of flute players stood by
awaiting the signal to begin.
HOW THE WINE WAS THROWN
When this signal was given, the flutes struck
up. and the players seiZing cups and dipping
them into a large vase containing wine, stepped
forward one by one to the chalk line. with the
intention Of throwing the wine through the air
into the metal basin aioat on the water This
great feat to accomplish successfully.
An unskllful tErOWer would so handle his wine
that it would fly out in broad sheet and be
all scattered in the air long before it reached
its mark. An unsteady thrOwer would perhap IS
hurl the wine hut deposit it in the water in
stead Of in the basin. The crack cottabos
player avoided both these faults. "grasped the
cup" We told. with well crooked fingers.
like a hute-playcr holding his flute" directed
his wine through the air IN compact collected
cloud and landed it full in the metal basin
which was the mark he aimed at
The flutes. which warbling all the time
the players were getting ready, stopped directly
throw made, and all ears were eagerly
intent to hear what sort Of a splash the wine
OF the splash determined the success Of the
player.
He whose wine coming in a firm and swelling
cloud fell with full sound on the silver. pro-
ducing a crisp. sharp musical note OF fine
tmbre. was accounted better player than the
thrOwer whose wine made uncertain noise,
or being too much shaken out splashed like
falling rain on the metal, giving only the pitter
Iatter Of a driZZle
Not only was the skill OF the thrower con
cerned in the extraction Of a pure musical tone
n, p1p tai hut nal of he
wine had something to do with it, The Pram
man wine rcputed to give a crisper pash
than the Chan wine The wine of Lesbos like
wise said to have more body in its tone
than the wines Of 1hasOs. Everything
studied. all arts were enlisted and made use Of
TO achieve a pure and brilliant musical note
when the wine fell and sent the sound ringing
from the silver And considering what count
less variations OF timbre there must have been
and what untold delicacies of modulation in the
ring, we may well be surprised that such nice
ness Of should have been so common a
thing. and that in a game which. in its repute
and It's associations. entirely popular. so
much acoustic acumcn could have been eXer-
cised
But the Greeks a musical nation. They
could find music in the trickle Of a waterfall
which We pass by unnoticed. The song Of birds
so charm. d them that all the legends and all
the chosen ability of these sylvan singers were
invented and conferred by the Greeks. They
delighted in hearing musical voice. and n
main part OF their education devoted to
acquiring round and clear delivery. And in
the same way they could listen to and detect
the discrepancies of the cottabOs. which our
duer ears would fail to recognize.
GREAT POPULARITY OF THE GAME
Plato the comic poet. tells that the popu-
iarity of the game great that. not con
tent with playing II IN courts and in public,
people must needs be always at il in private
hOuses-after dinner, even before it," In one
OF his plays he gives a whole scene of this pri-