A Horn for Phemius

In 51 BC, Titus Pomponius Atticus wrote to his friend Cicero with an unusual request: his musician Phemius needed a new instrument—a special ‘horn’ (κέρας) that could only be found in the region of Cilicia where Cicero was serving as governor. Several months later, the object in question was finally tracked down and an order placed. What exactly was this elusive piece of musical exotica, and why was Atticus so eager to get his hands on it? This article states a case for identifying Phemius’ κέρας with the Phrygian aulos/tibia, a species of pipe noted for its resonant ox-horn bell. Atticus’ acquisition of the ‘Phrygian pipe’ provides a revealing counterpoint to the often stereotyped depictions of musical entertainment (symphoniae) that we find in contemporary literature. It therefore presents an effective model for re-evaluating the place of musical culture in late Republican elite society.

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