People can learn about ancient Greek literature by reading Homer's epic poems, and they can also appreciate ancient Greek art from sculptures and ancient vase paintings. However, for a long period in history, people did not know what the music of ancient Greece was like. To this day, most of the about 40 pieces of ancient Greek music scores that have been released are still incomplete fragments. . Therefore, some people believe that it is more appropriate to regard the Middle Ages as the beginning of Western music, because it was only then that more musical works were recorded in the form of sheet music and directly transmitted and performed to influence future generations. However, musicologists from ancient times to the present have traced the origin of Western music back to ancient Greece and Rome. Why is this? Because music is a culture, not just a skill. Although ancient Greek musical works have not been directly handed down, the cultural spirit of ancient Greek music has deeply influenced the history of Western music.

Music is closely related to the social life of the ancient Greeks. In Greek mythology, music is important and fascinating. Apollo is the sun god and is also in charge of music. The demigod and half-human King Amphion of Thebes built the Thebes Castle with the magic of the sound of the piano. The Thracian singer Orpheus used the charm of music to save his wife Eurydice in the region, and then lost her again. The Muses are the collective name for the nine goddesses who govern history, music and poetry, comedy, tragedy, dance, lyric poetry, odes, astronomy and epic poetry. In ancient Greek mythology, touching musical stories with human characteristics have constantly inspired the imagination of musicians in different eras in history.

The music, writing and dance of ancient Greece were integrated into one. Homer's epic poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" were sung by virtuoso poets during their wanderings. Alcaeus and Sappho were lyric poets and musicians. In the tragic performance, the chorus dressed in the half-goat and half-man costume of the forest god sang and danced around the altar. The poets of ancient Greece were both poets and musicians.

The ancient Greek lyre is the earliest stringed instrument in the West, and the Aulos is a wind instrument. The former was used for playing and singing in epic poems, and was also the main instrument in religious rituals to worship Apollo; the latter was an important instrument in religious rituals to worship Dionysus, and later in the chorus of Athenian tragedy. Since the Renaissance, lira has been a symbol of music and art in Western literature and art.

Ancient Greek philosophers have rich discussions on music. Pythagoras thought that the harmony of intervals and rhythms corresponded to the harmonious order of the universe and the stars, and incorporated music into his number-centered theory of abstract interpretation of the world. However, his discussion on the relationship between string length ratio and musical harmony already has the germ of science. Plato and Aristotle's discussion of music involves the social moral and aesthetic functions of music. The musical thoughts of ancient Greek philosophers had an important influence and inspiration on the development of Western music.