Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Aulos by Stefanos Krasopoulis including improvisations by him, pan flute by Carlos Carty, vocals & composition by Farya Faraji.
The Epic Roman Music series presents the epic repertoire of Ancient Roman poetry, narrative epics and stories through the usage of their instruments and modes. The series' goal is to reshape public perceptions of how Ancient Rome is imagined sonically, moving toward a more accurate representation which uses their instrumentation and repertoire of modes. While I also maintain a separate series dedicated to historically informed approximations of Roman music, the Epic Roman Series approaches the question through an ethnomusicological methodology. The living traditions of the modern Balkans preserve sound worlds closer to what we can plausibly imagine for ancient Roman music than the cinematic conventions of film soundtracks. Thus, we can explore the unavoidable gaps in our limited knowledge of Roman music through living musical practices preserved in the Balkans. This allows the attested sounds of their instruments and modal languages to be heard in a culturally realistic way, while remaining distinct from modern cinematic soundscapes.
The lyrics of this piece are from Lucan's De Bello Civilii, or Pharsalia, an epic poem detailling Caesar's civil war. This passage is set right before the decidive battle at Pharsalus, with Caesar adressing his soldiers before they engage in battle with, and defeat Pompey.
The instruments used are the pan flute, ancient lyre played with the historically attested block and strum technique, and Louvre aulos model played by Stefanos Krasopoulis, as well as frame drums and ancient cymbals.
Lyrics:
Ō domitor mundī, rērum fortūna meārum,
Mīles, adest totiēns optātae cōpia pugnae.
Nīl opus est vōtīs, iam fātum accersite ferrō
Naec est illa diēs mihi quam Rubicōnis ad undās
Prōmissam meminī, cuius spē mōvimus arma,
In quam distulimus vetitōs remeāre triumphōs.
Translation:
O conquerors of the world, fortune of my affairs,
soldiers, the offspring of so many hoped-for battles is here.
No task remains for vows; now fate summons the sword.
This day is more pleasing to me than the waves of the Rubicon promised,
By whose crossing I remember that arms were set in motion,
When we resolved to return in forbidden triumphs.
Aulos by Stefanos Krasopoulis including improvisations by him, pan flute by Carlos Carty, vocals & composition by Farya Faraji.
The Epic Roman Music series presents the epic repertoire of Ancient Roman poetry, narrative epics and stories through the usage of their instruments and modes. The series' goal is to reshape public perceptions of how Ancient Rome is imagined sonically, moving toward a more accurate representation which uses their instrumentation and repertoire of modes. While I also maintain a separate series dedicated to historically informed approximations of Roman music, the Epic Roman Series approaches the question through an ethnomusicological methodology. The living traditions of the modern Balkans preserve sound worlds closer to what we can plausibly imagine for ancient Roman music than the cinematic conventions of film soundtracks. Thus, we can explore the unavoidable gaps in our limited knowledge of Roman music through living musical practices preserved in the Balkans. This allows the attested sounds of their instruments and modal languages to be heard in a culturally realistic way, while remaining distinct from modern cinematic soundscapes.
The lyrics of this piece are from Lucan's De Bello Civilii, or Pharsalia, an epic poem detailling Caesar's civil war. This passage is set right before the decidive battle at Pharsalus, with Caesar adressing his soldiers before they engage in battle with, and defeat Pompey.
The instruments used are the pan flute, ancient lyre played with the historically attested block and strum technique, and Louvre aulos model played by Stefanos Krasopoulis, as well as frame drums and ancient cymbals.
Lyrics:
Ō domitor mundī, rērum fortūna meārum,
Mīles, adest totiēns optātae cōpia pugnae.
Nīl opus est vōtīs, iam fātum accersite ferrō
Naec est illa diēs mihi quam Rubicōnis ad undās
Prōmissam meminī, cuius spē mōvimus arma,
In quam distulimus vetitōs remeāre triumphōs.
Translation:
O conquerors of the world, fortune of my affairs,
soldiers, the offspring of so many hoped-for battles is here.
No task remains for vows; now fate summons the sword.
This day is more pleasing to me than the waves of the Rubicon promised,
By whose crossing I remember that arms were set in motion,
When we resolved to return in forbidden triumphs.
