time-beaters

Updated: May 15, 2025

He tore the clothes from the back of one of the iron-shod time-beaters, snatched a flute from the player's hands, and brought it down in such trenchant sort upon the head of Odysseus, who was standing by enjoying his triumph, that, had not his cap held good, and borne the weight of the blow, poor Odysseus must have fallen a victim to histrionic frenzy.

of Samosata Lucian - Works of Lucian of Samosata — Volume 02

On the other hand, I am sorry to say I know of no one to whom I would confidently entrust a single tempo in one of my operas; certainly to no member of the staff of our army of time-beaters.

Richard Wagner - On Conducting (Üeber Das Dirigiren) : a Treatise on Style in the Execution of Classical Music,

The time-beaters, the flutes, even the chorus, were ordered to preserve a strict silence; and the pantomime, left to his own resources, represented the loves of Ares and Aphrodite, the tell-tale Sun, the craft of Hephaestus, his capture of the two lovers in the net, the surrounding Gods, each in his turn, the blushes of Aphrodite, the embarrassment of Ares, his entreaties, in fact the whole story.

of Samosata Lucian - Works of Lucian of Samosata — Volume 02