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MARSYAS

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 784 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MARSYAS , in See also:

Greek See also:mythology, a Phrygian See also:god or See also:Silenus, son of Hyagnis. He was originally the god of the small See also:river of the same name near See also:Celaenae, an old Phrygian See also:town. He represents the See also:art of playing the See also:flute as opposed to the See also:lyre—the one the See also:accompaniment of the See also:worship of See also:Cybele, the other that of the worship of See also:Apollo. According to the See also:legend, See also:Athena, who had invented the flute, threw it away in disgust, because it distorted the features. Marsyas found it, and having acquired See also:great skill in playing it, challenged Apollo to a contest with his lyre. See also:Midas, See also:king of See also:Phrygia, who had been appointed See also:judge, declared in favour of Marsyas, and Apollo punished Midas by changing his ears into See also:ass's ears. In another version, the See also:Muses were See also:judges and awarded the victory to Apollo, who tied Marsyas to a See also:tree and flayed him alive. Marsyas, as well as Midas and Silenus, are associated in legend with See also:Dionysus and belong to the See also:cycle of legends of Cybele. A statue of Marsyas was set 1 According to others, a See also:reed-See also:pipe made of the stalks of See also:hemlock; the See also:reading scutica (" See also:whip ") has also been proposed.up in the See also:Roman See also:forum and colonies as a See also:symbol of See also:liberty. The contest and See also:punishment of Marsyas were favourite subjects in Greek art, both See also:painting and See also:sculpture. In See also:Florence there are several statues of Marsyas See also:hanging on the tree as he is going to be flayed (see GREEK ART, fig. 54, Pl.

II.); Apollo and the executioner See also:

complete the See also:group. In the Lateran museum at See also:Rome there is a statue representing Marsyas in the See also:act of picking up the flute, a copy of a masterpiece by See also:Myron (See also:Hyginus, Fab. 167, 191; See also:Apollodorus i. 4, 2; See also:Ovid, Metam. vi. 382-400, xi. 145-193), for which see GREEK ART, fig. 64 (Pl. III.).

End of Article: MARSYAS

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