Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Symphoniaci

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

SYMPHO'NIACI. Musicians who sang or played a piece of music in concert. The name was specially conferred upon young slaves educated as choristers, for the purpose of entertaining their masters at the dinner-table (Cic. Mil. 21.); and to a band of musicians employed on board ship to keep the rowers in stroke, by singing or playing the naval chaunt (celeusma), or to make signals and transmit commands by the sound of music. Cic. Div. Verr. 17. Ascon. ad. l.