Demiourgós e philósophos. Il lavoro del musico nella Grecia antica

A prominent figure in important public occasions, in ancient Greece the poet-musician played a decisive social role, which in some cases took on explicitly beneficial connotations for the polis, as in the case of musicians who freed the city from plagues (loimoi) and internal strife (staseis). In other respects, musicians' awareness of the importance of their role, heightened by their participation in competitions, gave rise to “professionalism”. The importance of the musician's role in society and with regard to ethos emerges in Aristoxenus of Tarentum's observation that it is necessary for the musician to also be a philosopher (Ps. Plut. De Mus. 32, 1142d 1-2). Another aspect of the question concerns women: female “professionalism” in the field of music appears to be mainly linked to the symposium, but female musicians had a role also in musical competitions.