Phorminx

Phorminx is also a genus of cylindrical bark beetles.

A phorminx

The phorminx (in Ancient Greek φόρμιγξ) was one of the oldest of the Ancient Greek stringed musical instruments, intermediate between the lyre and the kithara. It consisted of two to seven strings, richly decorated arms and a crescent-shaped sound box. It mostly probably originated from Mesopotamia. While it seems to have been common in Homer's day, accompanying the rhapsodes, it was supplanted in historical times by the seven-stringed kithara. Nevertheless, the term phorminx continued to be used as an archaism in poetry.

The term phorminx is also sometimes used in both ancient and modern writing to refer to all four instruments of the lyre family collectively:

barbitos
kithara
lyre
phorminx

External links

Ancient Greek Instruments, Homo Ecumenicus

Greek musical instruments

Ancient	Barbiton Chelys Epigonion Kithara Pan flute Pandura Phorminx Salpinx Trigonon Water organ

String Instruments	Bowed instruments Lyra (Byzantine Cretan Pontian) Plucked instruments Baglamas Bouzouki Karantouzeni Laouto Lavta Mandola Mandolin Psaltery Tambouras Thaboura Tzouras Struck instruments Santouri

Aerophones	Woodwind instruments Aulos Askomandoura Tsampouna Floghera Karamuza Lalitsa Mantura Souravli

Percussion instruments	Membranophones Tambourine Toubeleki Tympano Idiophones Cochilia Crotalum Koudounia Trigono Zilia

See also	Music of Greece Greek folk music Byzantine music Rebetiko Laïko Greek dances

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