CITHARA, one of the most ancient stringed instruments, may be traced back to 1700 B.C. among the Semitic races, in Egypt, Assyria, Asia Minor, Greece and the Roman empire, whence the use of it spread over Europe. Having as its leading feature a sound-box or sound-chest which consisted of two reso nating tables, either flat or delicately arched, connected by ribs or sides of equal width, the cithara may be regarded as an attempt to improve upon the lyre (q.v.), while retaining some of its features.
The strings, varying in number from four to 20 and made of gut, hemp or silk, were vibrated by means of the fingers or of a plectrum, according to the requirements of the music and the different quality of tone desired. Like the lyre the cithara was made in many sizes, according to the pitch required and the use to which the instrument was to be put. It was in Greece the instru ment alike of the professional singer or citharoedus (rctOapcpbOs) and, of the instrumentalist or citharista (rKOapurrrfs), and thus served the double purpose of (I) accompanying the voice (a use placed by the Greeks far above mere instrumental music) in epic recitations and rhapsodies, in odes and lyric songs ; and (2) of accompanying the dance. It was also used for playing solos at the national games, at receptions and at trials of skill.
From the cithara by successive stages was evolved the guitar. The first of these steps produced the rotta (q.v.), by the construc tion of body, arms and transverse bar in one piece. The addition of a finger-board, stretching like a short neck from body to trans verse bar, leaving on each side of the finger-board space for the hand to pass through in order to stop the strings, produced the crwth or crowd (q.v.), and brought about the reduction in the number of the strings to three or four. The conversion of the rotta into the guitar (q.v.) was an easy transition effected by the addition of a long neck to a body derived from the oval rotta. When the bow was applied the result was the guitar or troubadour fiddle. The cittern (q.v.), a later descendant of the cithara, al though preserving the characteristic features of the cithara, the shallow sound-chest with ribs, adopted the pear-shaped outline of the eastern instruments of the lute tribe.