PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTIONS. 369 



formance at the chief festival tended to become more elaborate and to fall 

 into the hands of persons expressly and professionally trained." 



In like manner Donaldson tells us " that music and dancing were 

 the basis of the religious, political, and military organization of 

 the Dorian states ; " remarking also that 



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" The preservation of military discipline and the establishment of a prin- 

 ciple of subordination, not merely the encouragement of a taste for the fine 

 arts, were the objects which these rude legislators had in view; and though 

 there is no doubt that religious feeling entered largely into all their 

 thoughts and actions, yet the god whom they worshiped was a god of war, 

 of music, and of civil government." 



On which statement, however, we may remark that it contains a 

 species of error common in historical interpretations. It is erro- 

 neously assumed that these dances were introduced by legislators, 

 instead of being continuations of observances which arose sponta- 

 neously. How in Greece there early began the secularization of 

 music is shown by the traditions concerning the religious festivals 

 the Pythian, Olympian, etc. which presently furnished occa- 

 sions for competitions in skill and strength. The Pythian games, 

 which were the earliest, exhibited the smallest divergence from 

 the primitive purpose ; for only musical and poetical contests 

 took place. But the establishment of prizes shows that out of the 

 original miscellaneous chorus had arisen some who were marked 

 by their more effective expressions of praise and finer vocal utter- 

 ances. And on reading that out of those who pLyed accompani- 

 ments to the sacred songs and dances, some became noted for 

 their skill, and that there presently followed at the great Greek 

 games prizes to the best performers on flutes, trumpets, and lyres, 

 we see how there arose also that differentiation of instrumental- 

 ists from vocalists which presently became pronounced. Says 

 Mahaffy concerning a performance about 250 b. c. 



" This elaborate instrumental symphony was merely the development 

 of the old competitions in playing instruments, which had existed at Delphi 

 from very early days." 



Hence, after a time, a complete secularization of music. Besides 

 musical performances in honor of the gods, there grew up in 

 later days performances which ministered solely to aesthetic en- 

 joyments. Distinguishing the sacred from the secular, Mahaffy 

 says the first " were quite separate from the singing and playing 

 in private society, which were cultivated a good deal at Athens, 

 though not at all at Sparta, where such performances were left to 

 professional musicians." 



Parallel evidence is furnished by Roman history. We read 

 in Mommsen that 



