Classical Legends
Thinking that they were concealing the nymph, Pan cut the reeds, and amorously sighing over them, they gave forth musical sounds, whereupon he fashioned them into pipes of various lengths and played upon them.
Ovid assigns the invention of the flute to Minerva, who, finding herself laughed at by Juno and Venus whenever she played it,
Distorted in a fountain as she played.
Th' unlucky Marsyas found it and his fate
Was one to make the bravest hesitate."
—Longfellow
Alcibiades abandoned the flute for a like reason, saying that a man's most intimate friends would hardly recognise him when playing it. Hence Greek sculptors never represented a player actually blowing into the flute, and the ancient players often wore veils.
To return to Pan and Marsyas. The former challenged Apollo to a contest between flute and lyre (Apollo's special instrument). Midas, King of Phrygia, who acted as judge, decided in favour of Pan and his flute, and was decorated with asses' ears in consequence. Apollo then challenged Marsyas, a famous flute-player, whom he defeated, because Apollo accompanied his lyre with his voice. Marsyas complained that this was unfair at a trial of instruments only, to which the god rejoined that Marsyas also used both his fingers and his mouth. This puzzled the judges, and another trial was ordered, at which Marsyas was again
3
