Editing Apollo (section)

====Contest with Marsyas====

[[Marsyas]] was a [[satyr]] who was punished by Apollo for his [[hubris]]. He had found an [[aulos]] on the ground, tossed away after being invented by [[Athena]] because it made her cheeks puffy. Athena had also placed a curse upon the instrument, that whoever would pick it up would be severely punished. When Marsyas played the flute, everyone became frenzied with joy. This led Marsyas to think that he was better than Apollo, and he challenged the god to a musical contest. The contest was judged by the [[Muse]]s, or the nymphs of [[Nysa (mythology)|Nysa]]. Athena was also present to witness the contest.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Marsyas taunted Apollo for "wearing his hair long, for having a fair face and smooth body, for his skill in so many arts".<ref name="Apuleius, Florida 3.2">Apuleius, ''Florida'' 3.2</ref> He also further said,

{{blockquote|'His [Apollo] hair is smooth and made into tufts and curls that fall about his brow and hang before his face. His body is fair from head to foot, his limbs shine bright, his tongue gives oracles, and he is equally eloquent in prose or verse, propose which you will. What of his robes so fine in texture, so soft to the touch, aglow with purple? What of his lyre that flashes gold, gleams white with ivory, and shimmers with rainbow gems? What of his song, so cunning and so sweet? Nay, all these allurements suit with naught save luxury. To virtue they bring shame alone!'<ref name="Apuleius, Florida 3.2"/>}}

The Muses and Athena sniggered at this comment. The contestants agreed to take turns displaying their skills and the rule was that the victor could "do whatever he wanted" to the loser.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

[[File:05apol1.jpg|thumb|The contest between Apollo and [[Marsyas]], by [[Palma il Giovane]]|left]]

According to one account, after the first round, they both were deemed equal by the [[Nysiads]]. But in the next round, Apollo decided to play on his lyre and add his melodious voice to his performance. Marsyas argued against this, saying that Apollo would have an advantage and accused Apollo of cheating. But Apollo replied that since Marsyas played the flute, which needed air blown from the throat, it was similar to singing, and that either they both should get an equal chance to combine their skills or none of them should use their mouths at all. The nymphs decided that Apollo's argument was just. Apollo then played his lyre and sang at the same time, mesmerising the audience. Marsyas could not do this. Apollo was declared the winner and, angered with Marsyas' haughtiness and his accusations, decided to flay the satyr.<ref name="ReferenceD">Diodorus Siculus, Library of History 5. 75. 3</ref>

[[File:Marsyas Flayed by the Order of Apollo - Charles André van Loo (1735).jpg|thumb|Marsyas flayed by the order of Apollo, by [[Charles-André van Loo]]]]

According to another account, Marsyas played his flute out of tune at one point and accepted his defeat. Out of shame, he assigned to himself the punishment of being skinned for a wine sack.<ref>Philostratus the Younger, Imagines 2 (trans. Fairbanks)</ref> Another variation is that Apollo played his instrument upside down. Marsyas could not do this with his instrument. So the Muses who were the judges declared Apollo the winner. Apollo hung Marsyas from a tree to flay him.<ref>''Man Myth and Magic'' by Richard Cavendish</ref>

Apollo [[flaying|flayed]] the limbs of Marsyas alive in a cave near [[Celaenae]] in [[Phrygia]] for his [[hubris]] to challenge a god. He then gave the rest of his body for proper burial<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#165 165].</ref> and nailed Marsyas' flayed skin to a nearby pine-tree as a lesson to the others. Marsyas' blood turned into the river Marsyas. But Apollo soon repented and being distressed at what he had done, he tore the strings of his lyre and threw it away. The lyre was later discovered by the Muses and Apollo's sons [[Linus of Thrace|Linus]] and [[Orpheus]]. The Muses fixed the middle string, Linus the string struck with the forefinger, and Orpheus the lowest string and the one next to it. They took it back to Apollo, but the god, who had decided to stay away from music for a while, laid away both the lyre and the pipes at Delphi and joined [[Cybele]] in her wanderings to as far as [[Hyperborea]].<ref name="ReferenceD"/><ref>Apostle Arne Horn, ''The Book of Eusebius'' #4</ref>