A cornu, also called cornum in Latin (meaning "horn"), was an ancient Roman brass instrument about 3 meters (9.8 feet) long. It had the shape of a letter "G" and was supported by a crossbar that made it stronger and helped the player carry its weight on their shoulder. Some examples of the cornu have been found in ancient ruins, including two from the city of Pompeii.

The cornu may look similar to another instrument called the buccina. The Roman army used it to send messages to soldiers during battles. In Roman art, the cornu is shown alongside other instruments during games or gladiator fights in the arena, such as in the Zliten mosaic.

History and usage

The Etruscans created the cornu for use in their funeral ceremonies and military activities. Roman artworks of the cornu are usually realistic. Etruscan art often shows the cornu being used with another instrument called the lituus. It may have been a sign of high status in Etruscan society. The cornu was used in Roman religious rituals, such as worshiping the gods Dionysus and Cybele. It was also used in sacrifices, funerals, plays in the circus, gladiatorial games, and bacchanals. The cornu was a musical instrument used by the ancient Romans in the military as a signaling tool. It was used to send signals to all soldiers in a unit.

A military writer named Vegetius described how horns were used to send signals:

• Cornu from the Roman Museum in Aalen, Germany
• An image of a cornicen on Trajan's Column
• A tombstone showing a cornicen from Novaesium

Construction and shape

The cornu was originally made from an animal horn and later made from bronze. It was worn around the neck with a cord. The instrument was shaped into a spiral. Thin metal sheets, about 0.5 millimeters thick, were used to create the spiral shape. These sheets were likely made from bronze. The edges of the metal sheets overlapped on the longest sides and were joined using soldering. Sharp tools or stones were used to remove extra soldering material. The spiral was divided into sections connected by brass rings. These rings were soldered onto the tubes. Iron curved cores helped shape wooden pieces about 40 centimeters long to form the curved parts of the tubes. A bell made of copper and tin was attached to the end of the instrument. Sometimes, a cross-brace was added. The ends were connected by a wooden rod, held in place by iron nails. Holes were drilled in the ends of the rods to hold the nails in place. The bell was made by folding a flat sheet of metal.

A musician called a cornicen played the cornu. The musician held the instrument vertically and pointed it forward. The tubing looped around the player's left shoulder. The player held the cornu with the left hand and pressed the mouthpiece against the lips with the right hand. The sound of the instrument depended on how the player breathed and used force.

Tuba curva

The cornu was brought back into use as the "tuba curva" during the French Revolution, along with the buccina. Both instruments were first used in music composed by François Joseph Gossec for the moving of Voltaire's remains to the Panthéon on July 11, 1791.