TRUMPET. Some Greek historians ascribe the invention of the trump®* to the Tyrrhenians; but others, with greater probability, the Egyptians; from whom it might have been transmitted to the Israelites. The trumpet was not in use among the Greeks at the time of the Trojan war; though it was in com* mon use in the time of Homer. According to Potter (Ai' c ^' Grac. vol. ii. cap. 9.), before the invention of trumpets, the first signals of battle in primitive wars were lighted torches, to these succeeded shells of fishes, which were sounded l>k e trumpets. And when the trumpet became common in mih' g tary use, it may well be imagined to have served at first on ly as a rough and noisy signal of battle, like that at present in Abyssinia and New Zealand, and perhaps with only °° c sound. But, even when more notes were produced from J *> so noisy an instrument must have been an unfit accomp 301 ' merit for the voice and poetry; so that it is probable th° trumpet was the first solo instrument in use among the 3)1 cients. I