Pan the God
The great Arcadian god Pan is probably one of the most well known gods in Greek history. Everyone has heard of Pan, and would more than likely recognize him if they saw him today. His unmistakable physique distinguished him from all other gods: “He had the feet of a goat, two horns on his forehead, loved noise and dancing, was hairy, dirty, lusty, ugly, and disheveled; yet, in his own way he was a charming creature” (Carpenter and Gula, 103). He was considered a lesser divinity of Earth, the god of woods and fields. Pan was very of the people, and was particularly fond of shepherds. He was considered their special protector; in a general sense he was a divinity of the country, of sheep, goats, and other grazing flocks, of forests, valleys, hills, and glens (Carpenter and Gula, 103). He was, on the whole, easy-going and lazy, loving nothing better than his afternoon nap, and revenged himself on those who disturbed him with a sudden loud shout from a grove, or grotto, which made the hair bristle on their heads, hence where the word panic is said to have been derived from (Graves,101).Pan was the son of Hermes, the Roman god Mercury, who also had duties as protector of flocks and herds, and was the foste . . .
It is said Syrinx emulated Artemis so closely that the only obvious difference was that Artemis carried a golden bow, whereas Syrinx’s was made of wood. Pan suspected what had happened, and in a fury, cut several of the reeds at random. The news of his death came to Thamus, a sailor on a ship bound for Italy. He was considered a favorite and a delight to all the gods. Pan was enchanted by these sounds, being the musician that he was, so he decided to preserve them. A divine voice shouted across the sea: ‘Thamus, are you there? When you reach Palodes, take care to proclaim that the great god Pan is dead!’ which Thamus did; and the news was greeted from those on the shore with groans and laments (Graves, 102). It is also said that combined with the clear-voiced mountain nymphs, their sound was overwhelming. Shrines in honor of Pan were constructed everywhere, including a hidden shallow cave under the Acropolis. Pan boasted for some time to the forest nymphs that he could beat Apollo in just such an event, and one day, the two met in front of a crowd of judges and spectators. Even today they are still referred to as the Pipes of Pan (Carpenter and Gula, 104). Pan was often referred to by other gods as the youngest, but in all actuality, he was probably among the oldest, having first been worshipped in Arcadia as early as the sixth century BC.
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