An ancient instrumentSourced
A water organ that sounded with air
The ancient hydraulis is attributed to Ctesibius of Alexandria in the third century BCE. Hand pumps supplied air, while water in a cistern helped maintain its pressure before it reached the pipes. Water did not flow through the sounding pipes.
Water managed the pressure; air made the music.
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Water organ · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-09