Thephorminx (Ancient Greek:φόρμιγξ) was one of the oldest of the Ancient Greek stringedmusical instruments, in theyoke lutes family, intermediate between thelyre and thekithara. It consisted of two to seven strings, richly decorated arms and a crescent-shaped sound box. It most probably originated fromMesopotamia. While it seems to have been common inHomer's day[1] accompanying therhapsodes, it was supplanted in historical times by the seven-stringed kithara. Nevertheless, the term "phorminx" continued to be used as anarchaism in poetry.
The term "phorminx" is also sometimes used in both ancient and modern writing to refer to all four instruments of the lyre family collectively:
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