The Cetra was a stringed musical instrument well known for its use in ancient times, belonging to the chordophone family. The instrument was initially constructed in wood, similar to the lyre, but with a larger harmonic case. The cetra with these characteristics spread from ancient Greece, where it was played by professional citaredi, its use also spread to Rome and Corsica. Over the centuries its structure was altered further, until the term 'cetra' came to signify a pear-shaped instrument with a flat sound-board and a long neck, whose pairs of metal strings were plucked.