Kalamatianos. A popular folk dance known throughout Greece and Cyprus, the kalamatianos is danced in a circle, with dancers holding hands. But don’t let the name fool you, as the kalamatianos is actually a Pan-Hellenic dance and is considered the national dance of Greece.

There are over 10,000 traditional dances that come from all regions of Greece. There are also pan-Hellenic dances, which have been adopted throughout the Greek world. These include specifically the Syrtos, Kalamatianos, Pyrrhichios, Ballos and hasapiko. Traditional Greek dancing has a primarily social function.

1. Salsa Dance, Cuba. Although it is assumed that it originated in the Caribbean, the introduction of Salsa dance to the world has been due to its prevalence in Cuba and today it has been identified with a wide geography as “Latin American dance”.

The origins of the Greek dance date back to the 2nd millennium BCE. Tradition has it that Crete, home of the Minoan civilization, is the birthplace of Greek dance.

Roman dance style was influenced by the various styles of Etruscan and Greek dance. Pyrrhic dances, for instance, were created by Greek dancers but made popular by the Romans. They also engaged in fertility dances sometimes to honor the gods. In this way, dance originated in ancient Rome as a religious practice.

The Romans used dance less frequently, though they did enjoy watching dancers called pantomimi, or pantomime performers. The Greeks considered dance a gift from the gods. Dancing usually accompanied ceremonies and special occasions such as weddings, funerals, harvest celebrations, processions, and feasts.

Dancing was common among the Romans in ancient times in connection with religious festivals and rites, and was practised according to Servius (ad Virg. The dances of the Salii, which were performed by men of patrician families, are spoken of elsewhere [Salii].

In spite of the purported lack of musical originality on the part of the Romans, they did enjoy music greatly and used it for many activities. Music was also used in religious ceremonies. The Romans cultivated music as a sign of education.

Some of the musical instruments that were popular during the Ancient Roman times were:

• Tubas.
• French Horn.
• Bugles.
• Oboe.
• Clairnet type horn.
• Bagpipe.
• Panpipe.
• Lyre-The lyre is considered the oldest Ancient Roman instrument.

The most important musical instrument in the Roman Military was the tuba or straight trumpet. Julius Caesar is reported to have used trumpets to withdraw his troops from battle, and his Gaulish opponent Vercingetorix also used it. The second most important Roman military musical instrument was the cornu.

cornicen

1907

The Romans originally used bonfires to communicate messages over long distances. Like many aspects of Roman life, this had been taken from the Greeks. Basically a series of bonfires were erected on hilltops from the scene of a battle to the capital town or city.

Roman law, the law of ancient Rome from the time of the founding of the city in 753 bce until the fall of the Western Empire in the 5th century ce. It remained in use in the Eastern, or Byzantine, Empire until 1453.

Although the ancient Greeks were familiar with many kinds of instruments, three in particular were favored for composition and performance: the kithara, a plucked string instrument; the lyre, also a string instrument; and the aulos, a double-reed instrument.

There is even a Roman aqueduct that is still functioning and bringing water to some of Rome’s fountains. The Acqua Vergine, built in 19 B.C., has been restored several time, but lives on as a functioning aqueduct.

The ancient Roman plumbing system was a legendary achievement in civil engineering, bringing fresh water to urbanites from hundreds of kilometers away. Wealthy Romans had hot and cold running water, as well as a sewage system that whisked waste away.