The Story of Pan
Pan was the god of the wild, of shepherds and their flocks, and of rustic music. He is most often called the son of Hermes and a nymph, though ancient writers name several different mothers. He was born with the horns, legs and beard of a goat, and his home was the wild mountain country of Arcadia.
According to the Homeric Hymn to Pan, the baby was so strange looking that his nurse ran away in fright. Hermes was delighted with his son, wrapped him in a hare skin and carried him up to Olympus. All the gods were charmed by him, especially Dionysus, and they named him Pan because he pleased them all.
Pan loved the nymphs of the woods and was always chasing them. One of them, Syrinx, fled from him to the bank of a river and was turned into a bed of reeds. When Pan heard the wind sighing through them, he cut the reeds into different lengths, joined them together and made the panpipes, which he called the syrinx in her memory.
Pan was proud of his music and once challenged Apollo to a contest. The mountain god Tmolus judged Apollo's lyre the winner, and everyone agreed except King Midas. Apollo was so annoyed that he gave Midas the ears of a donkey.
Pan could be frightening as well as playful. He loved to nap in the heat of midday, and anyone who woke him might hear his terrifying shout. The sudden, groundless fear that seized people and animals in lonely places was blamed on him, and from his name comes our word panic.
Before the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, the runner Pheidippides said he met Pan on a mountain road. The god asked why the Athenians did not worship him, though he had always been friendly to them. After their victory, the Athenians believed Pan had spread panic among the Persians, and they gave him a shrine in a cave below the Acropolis.
Pan was worshipped in caves and on hillsides by shepherds, hunters and beekeepers rather than in grand temples. The writer Plutarch told a famous story of a sailor named Thamus, who heard a voice call out that great Pan was dead. Yet Pan's image lived on, and his goat legged figure helped shape later pictures of fauns, satyrs and wild spirits of nature.
Famous Myths About Pan
Syrinx
Pan fell in love with the nymph Syrinx, who fled from him and was turned into a bed of reeds. Hearing the wind sigh through them, Pan cut the reeds and made the panpipes, which he called the syrinx in her memory.
Contest with Apollo
Pan challenged Apollo to a music contest. The mountain god Tmolus judged Apollo the winner, but King Midas disagreed, so Apollo gave him the ears of a donkey.
The Battle of Marathon
Before the Battle of Marathon, the runner Pheidippides met Pan on the road, who asked why the Athenians did not worship him. After the victory, the Athenians credited Pan with spreading panic among the Persians and built him a shrine.
The Death of Great Pan
According to Plutarch, a sailor named Thamus heard a voice call out from an island and tell him to announce that Great Pan is dead. When he did, a great cry of mourning arose from the shore.
Pan's Family Tree
Parents of Pan
Partners of Pan
Children of Pan
Frequently Asked Questions About Pan
Who is Pan in Greek mythology?
Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds, flocks and rustic music. He has the horns and legs of a goat and roams the mountains of Arcadia.
Who are Pan's parents?
Pan is most often called the son of Hermes and a nymph, though ancient accounts name several different mothers.
How did Pan create the pan pipes?
Pan chased the nymph Syrinx, who escaped by turning into reeds. He cut the reeds and joined them together to make the pipes that still bear his name.
Is the word panic named after Pan?
Yes. Pan was said to cause sudden, unreasoning fear in people and animals in lonely places, which the Greeks called panic.
What is Pan's Roman name?
The Romans identified Pan with Faunus.
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