"Harmony is an obscure and difficult musical science, but most difficult to those who are not acquainted with the Greek language; because it is necessary to use many Greek words to which there are none corresponding in Latin"
- Marcus V. Pollio
About this Quote
This quote by Marcus V. Pollio talks to the difficulty of comprehending consistency in music. He recommends that it is a complicated science, and a lot more difficult for those who are not knowledgeable about the Greek language. This is because a number of the terms utilized in harmony are Greek words, and there are no Latin equivalents. This implies that a knowledge of Greek is necessary for a complete understanding of consistency. It also suggests that harmony is a specialized discipline, which it requires a good deal of knowledge and skill to master. This quote acts as a suggestion of the significance of language in music, and how it can be a barrier to understanding. It likewise highlights the complexity of harmony, and the need for a deep understanding of the language in order to completely understand it.
"I think philosophers can do things akin to theoretical scientists, in that, having read about empirical data, they too can think of what hypotheses and theories might account for that data. So there's a continuity between philosophy and science in that way"