The
music of ancient Greece was almost universally present in society, from marriages and funerals to
religious ceremonies,
theatre, folk music and the ballad-like reciting of epic poetry. It thus played an integral role in the lives of ancient
Greeks. There are significant fragments of actual Greek
musical notation as well as many literary references to ancient Greek music, such that some things can be known—or reasonably surmised—about what the music sounded like, the general role of music in society, the economics of music, the importance of a professional caste of musicians, etc. Even
archaeological remains reveal an abundance of depictions on
ceramics, for example, of music being performed. The word
music comes from the
Muses, the daughters of
Zeus and patron goddesses of creative and intellectual endeavours.