According to tellings, Athena invented the first flute by drilling holes in deer bone. Proud of her invention, Athena decides to show it to other Olympians. While playing this at a festival, Hera and Aphrodite laugh at Athena’s facial expression while playing the flute. Angry at this, Athena curses the flute and throws it to the earth.

The flute was found by Marsias, a satyr. Since Satyrs are mostly good musicians and play an instrument created by a goddess, Marsias quickly became a well-known musician throughout Anatolia. 

The god of music, Apollo, hears of his fame and offers a challenge. The judges were muses and the king of Phrygia, Midas. They each play their instruments and receive the same total points in the first round. This annoys Apollo, and he offers to play the instruments backward. 

Of course, Marsyas, who plays wind instruments, can’t accomplish this and loses the challenge. Apollo punishes Marsias by tying him to a tree, skinning him, and torturing him until he dies. Apollo turns King Midas’ ears into donkey ears, saying that Midas’ ears can’t hear because of that, he sided with Marsyas. 

This myth has been the subject of many works of art; artists have highlighted the difference between the divine Apollo and Marsyas, an earthly being.

Written by Begüm Edited by İklim