Timeline of European Art and Music - The Second Century

Music timestamps

0:00 - Circa 100s - Mesomedes (Greek) - Hymn to Nemesis - Goddess of retribution, who enacts retribution against those who succumb to hubris, arrogance before the gods.

Nemesis, winged tilter of scales and lives,
Justice-spawned Goddess with steel-blue eyes!
You bridle vain men who roil in vain
Against Your adamantine rein.
Great hater of hubris and megalomania,
Obliterator of black resentment,
By Your trackless, churning, wracking wheel
Man's glinting fortunes turn on earth.
You come in oblivion's cloak to bend
The grandeur-deluded rebel neck,
With forearm measuring out lifetimes,
With brow frowning into the heart of man
And the yoke raised sovereign in Your hand.
Hail in the highest, O justice-queen
Nemesis, winged tilter of scales and lives,
Immortal Judge! I sing Your song,
Almighty Triumph on proud-spread wings,
Lieutenant of fairness, Requiter of wrongs.
Despise the lordly with all Your art
And lay them low in the Netherdark.

1:33 - Circa 100s - Mesomedes (Greek) - Hymn to Nemesis (instrumental) - Played on other instruments that would have been popular during this time.

3:14 - Circa 100s and prior - Kithara-style lyre (instrumental) - This piece is an improvisation in the ancient Dorian mode, demonstrating a variety of ancient lyre-playing techniques.

5:39 - Early 100s - Mesomedes of Crete (Greek) - Hymn to the Sun - Mesomedes was a freedman of the Emperor Hadrian. Freedmen had many of the freedoms of Roman citizens, except for the ability to run for office. Their children however would be full Roman citizens.

Father of the Dawn with her snow-white eyelids,
you who follow in your rose-pink chariot
the track of your flying steeds,
exulting in the gold of your hair,
twining your darting rays
across the boundless vault of sky,
whirling around the whole earth
the thread of your all-seeing beams,
while flowing rivers of your deathless fire
beget the lovely day.

For you the peaceful chorus of stars
dance their measure across Olympos their lord,
forever singing their leisured song,
rejoicing in the music of Apollo’s lyre;
and leading them the silvery-grey Moon
marshals the months and seasons,
drawn by her team of milk-white heifers.
And your benevolent mind rejoices
as it whirls around the manifold raiment of the universe
.

7:42 - Early 100s - Mesomedes of Crete (Greek) - Hymn to Calliope and Apollo - Calliope is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry

Wise Calliope,
leader of the delight-making Muses,
and skilful initiator into the mysteries,
son of Leto, Delian Paean,
favor me with your presence.

11:00 - Circa 130 - Mesomedes of Crete (Greek) - Hymn To The Muse - Muses are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. Considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric songs, and myths that were related orally for centuries in ancient Greek.