Music, Dance, and Soundscapes in the World of Alexander the Great

Over the centuries, Alexander the Great has captivated the imagination due to the vast empire he forged in less than a decade, extending from Greece to the Near East and India. While scholars have rigorously explored his military strategies, conquests, and the subsequent formation of Hellenistic kingdoms, the music, dances, and sonic landscapes that enlivened this vibrant cultural milieu remain underexplored.

This conference aims to spark fresh discussions on Alexander’s world by focusing on the auditory and performative elements that defined its spaces and communities.

We invite papers that investigate music, dance, and soundscapes through diverse methodological lenses, encompassing both religious and secular contexts. Contributions may address a range of settings, including sanctuaries, homes, tombs, markets, palaces, and other public or private spaces across the territories of Alexander’s empire, from Ancient Macedon to its farthest reaches.

Themes conference

We particularly encourage research grounded in epigraphic, literary, and, crucially, material evidence. Central questions include:

Evidence of Performances: What literary, epigraphic, or material evidence exists for musical and dance performances within Alexander’s kingdom, in sacred and secular contexts? Are there detectable regional variations?

Musical Instruments and Ritual Offerings: Which musical instruments and sound-producing tools were used and dedicated to the gods at sacred sites throughout Alexander’s empire?

Performers: Who were the musicians, dancers, and singers at festivals, public events, and funerary rites? Were they professional performers, and can families of performers be traced?

Audience Reactions: Is there evidence of how audiences in public and sacred spaces responded to sounds, ritual movements, and ceremonial music in sanctuaries, tombs, palaces, and public spaces?

Sonic Experience: How were sonic experiences shaped in both sacred and secular spaces? In what ways did natural sounds and sonic events enhance relationships between buildings, environments, and social interactions?

Acoustic Properties: How did the acoustics of these spaces and their immediate surroundings relate to religious and musical practices?

Iconographic Evidence: What can iconographic representations reveal about the roles of musicians and dancers in festivals, processions, sacrifices, banquets, and funerary contexts?

Modern Reception: How has the music, dance, and soundscape of Alexander the Great’s era been reimagined and reinterpreted in contemporary media and art forms such as film, opera, ballet, and visual arts?

How to submit

Interested scholars are invited to send an abstract (approximately 250–300 words) by 10 March 2025 to the panel co-organizers and members of the AIA, Archaeomusicology Interest Group and to the director tor of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki:

• Erica Angliker: erica.angliker@gmail.com
• Angela Bellia: angela.bellia@cnr.it
• Anastasia Gadolou: agadolou@culture.gr

Notification of acceptance will be communicated by April 20, 2025.

Key information

Submission Schedule

Call for papers deadline: March 10, 2025
Notification of acceptance: April 20, 2025

Conference Schedule

Arrival and opening session: October 15, 2025
Paper presentations: October 16-17, 2025
Optional excursions*: October 18, 2025
Departure: October 19, 2025

Conference Details

The conference, co-organized by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture-Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and the CNR – Institute of Heritage Science, will be held in the Manolis Andronikos Hall from 15 to 19 October 2025. The conference proceedings will be published as a special volume in Telestes: The International Journal of Archaeomusicology and Archaeology of Sound.

The conference will feature a guided tour of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, highlighting the museum’s key exhibits. Additionally, the tour will include a special presentation of musical instruments, vases, and other artifacts with musical themes from the museum’s collections. A live auloi performance using a reconstructed instrument will also be featured during the event.

* Following the conference, participants will have the opportunity to join a day trip (subject to an additional fee) to visit the New Polycentric Museum of Aigai, the Royal Tombs of Vergina, and the recently reopened Palace of Philip II.

Useful link

www.amth.gr