It was a sensual stringed instrument which accompanied symposiums and orgiastic cults. Similar in form to the homonymous siege machine mounted on a ship, it was probably invented by the poet Ibykos around the 6th century B.C. and was first played at feasts by the wandering Sybillis.

It consisted of a soundbox (made from tortoise-shell or from wood of the same form and a long wooden or horn arc-shaped arm. It usually had eight strings which ran from the stretched leather surface of the soundbox and tightened on the tuning pegs of the arm.

The player (usually a woman) plucked the strings with the fingers of both hands.

SOURCES: M.L. West, Ancient Greek Music, Curt Sachs, The History of Musical Instruments, Plutarch, On Music, Athenaeus of Naucratis, Deipnosophistai, Julius Pollux, Onomasticon, Nicomachus, Manual of Harmonics, Aristoxenus of Tarentum, On Instruments.