Cleonides ( el, Κλεονείδης) is the author of a Greek treatise on music theory titled Εἰσαγωγὴ ἁρμονική ''Eisagōgē harmonikē'' (Introduction to Harmonics). The date of the treatise, based on internal evidence, can be established only to the broad period between the 3rd century BCE and the 4th century CE; however, treatises titled ''eisagōgē'' generally began to appear only in the 1st century BCE, which seems the most likely period for Cleonides' work.
[Jon Solomon, "Cleonides leoneidēs, ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan Publishers, 2001).]
The attribution of the ''Eisagōgē'' in some manuscripts to
Euclid
Euclid (; grc-gre, Εὐκλείδης; BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician active as a geometer and logician. Considered the "father of geometry", he is chiefly known for the ''Elements'' treatise, which established the foundations of ...
or
Pappus is incompatible with the Aristoxenian approach adopted in the treatise. A few manuscripts name a "Zosimus" as the author.
[
Cleonides' treatise is the clearest account of the technical aspects of Aristoxenus's musical theory.][ Thomas J. Mathiesen, ''Apollo's Lyre: Greek Music and Music Theory in Antiquity and the Middle Ages'' (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press), page. 366.]
References
External links
English translation of the treatise
by O.Strunk, at ''attalus.org''
{{Authority control
Ancient Greek music theorists