Written by: Claris Lam
May 8, 2025
Introduction
What are the origins of drum circles? Drumming has deep cultural roots in many parts of the world. In our previous articles, we discussed the African, Indigenous American, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean origins of drumming. This article will cover the drumming traditions of Ancient Rome.
Drumming As Sacred Worship
In Ancient Rome, drumming was used for several purposes. One of these purposes was sacred, using drumming as a means of worship and for religious ceremonies. The Ancient Romans believed that the beat and rhythm of the drums connected mortals with the gods. They believed that the gods would favor them with good fortune if they accompanied the offerings they made with the drums. The drummers in their religious ceremonies helped set the tone and create a reverent atmosphere.
Outside of religious worship, the Ancient Romans also had a custom where people gathered during a funeral to play instruments (including drums) and sing songs to help their dead have an easier transition to the afterlife.
Drumming For Military Usage
The ancient Romans also used drumming for military strategies and formations. The drummers helped maintain the soldiers’ discipline and precision by acting as a communication tool. The drum beats gave orders and commands to troops that were positioned farther away from them.
The drummers’ roles also included signaling various formations, movements, and changes in battle tactics. The beats helped synchronize the soldiers’ movements, emphasizing their unity. Drummers also boosted morale for soldiers and instilled fear in their enemies through using their drums.
Drumming For Social Significance
Aside from worship and warfare, the Romans also used drums in celebrations, festivals, and public performances. Drumming was also an essential part of theater productions. Drummers accompanied the actors on stage during performances. The sound of the drums heightened the emotional impact of the scenes, engaging the audience on a deeper level. This made the performances more memorable and captivating.
Types of drums that the Ancient Romans used included different varieties of wooden and metal instruments called the scabellum, which helped create the pacing of the beats. Other percussion instruments used by the Ancient Romans included the sistrum, a rattle consisting of rings stretched across the intersection of metal rods of the metal frame, and the cymbala, which is made up of metal disks with concave middles and raised sides that bump against each other.
Another type of drums used by the Romans, which originally came from Greece, was the tympanum. The tympanum is a round, shallow, hand-held drum with oxhide stretched around a wooden or metal rim. The player beats on the typanum with an open palm or stick; some tympana had bells embedded in their rim, others had a deeper shape. The tympanum was used for various public and private entertainments, in funeral and religious processions, and in the military.
Conclusion
Ancient Rome’s drumming traditions show that rhythm and percussion were deeply in the fabric of Roman society, from sacred rituals and military campaigns to artistic pursuits and social gatherings. Many of these instruments and practice are no longer commonly used, but they still influence how we use drumming to connect, communicate, and celebrate. Exploring these historical roots helps us appreciate how universal and timeless the language of rhythm truly is.
Published May 8 2025
References
"The Historical Significance of Drumming in Ancient Rome." Authentic Drums. Link
"Roman Music." History for Kids. Link
"Roman Music." Imperium Romanum. Link
"Tympanum." VRoma. Link
Image Sources
The Cymbala – Metropolitan Museum of Art: Terracotta statuette of a woman with tympanum
The Scabellum – Wikimedia Commons
Terracotta Statuette of a Woman with Tympanum – Novel Rome Alone
About the Author
Claris Lam
Claris is passionate about making grand ideas accessible to a wider audience. She has written articles about emerging environmental technology and research, lifestyle, studying, and career advice, and anime and manga for several organizations including Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR), TalentEgg, and Comic Book Resources (CBR). When she’s not writing informative articles, you can find her playing the piano, pipe organ or violin, writing new fiction and poetry books as an indie author and poet, or reading.