Large lyre of Classical antiquity, the principal stringed instrument of the Greeks and later of the Romans.
It had a box-shaped resonating body from which extended two parallel arms connected by a crossbar to which 312 strings were attached. It was held vertically and plucked with a plectrum; the left hand was used to stop and damp the strings. It was played by singers of the Greek epics, as well as by later professional accompanists and soloists.