(1) ὁ Μαρσύας ἀγροῖκος ἦν, γίνεται δ’ οὕτω μουσικός. (2) ἐμίσησεν Ἀθηνᾶ τοὺς αὐλούς· οὐκ ὀλίγον γὰρ ἀφῃροῦντο τοῦ κάλλους. (3) ἡ πηγὴ τὴν εἰκόνα δεξαμένη τὸ συμβὰν ἐδίδαξεν. (4) οὕτω δὲ ἐρριμμένων τῶν αὐλῶν ὁ Μαρσύας ὑφίσταται. (5) προσάπτει οὖν τοῖς χείλεσιν ἀνελὼν αὐτοὺς ὁ ποιμήν· οἱ δὲ ᾖδον θείᾳ δυνάμει καὶ ἄκοντος τοῦ χρωμένου. (6) τέχνην ὁ Μαρσύας ἐνόμισεν εἶναι τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ χωρεῖ μὲν κατὰ Μουσῶν, χωρεῖ δὲ κατὰ Ἀπόλλωνος λέγων οὐδὲ θέλειν εἶναι λοιπόν, ἂν μὴ πλεονεκτήσῃ τοῦ δαίμονος. (7) ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ φιλονεικίᾳ νικᾶται, καὶ τὸ δέρμα μετὰ τὴν ἧτταν ἐκδύεται. (8) εἶδον ἐγὼ ποταμὸν ἐν Φρυγίᾳ· Μαρσύας ὄνομα τῷ ποταμῷ· καὶ ἔλεγον οἱ Φρύγες ὅτι τὸ ῥεῦμα τοῦτο ἐξ αἵματός ἐστι τοῦ Μαρσύου.
notes
Most editors consider this story a later addition. According to myth, Marsyas was a Phrygian satyr or rustic musician who found the aulos after Athena had thrown it away. Athena had invented the instrument, but abandoned it when she saw that playing it distorted her face. Marsyas picked it up, became skilled in its music, and challenged Apollo to a contest. The Muses judged the competition, and Apollo won, sometimes by adding song to his lyre-playing or by turning his instrument upside down, something Marsyas could not imitate on the pipes. As punishment for his arrogance, Apollo flayed Marsyas alive. Some versions add that his blood, or the tears shed for him, became the river Marsyas in Phrygia.
For a fuller version of the story that Pseudo-Palaephatus is summarizing, see Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.382–400; Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.4.2; Hyginus, Fabulae 165; Diodorus Siculus 3.59.2–5.
1
οὕτω: “in the following way.”
2
ἀφῃροῦντο: 3rd pl. impf. indic. mid.-pass. > ἀφαιρέω.
3
τὴν εἰκόνα δεξαμένη: “receiving her image,” i.e., the reflection of Athena’s image on the surface of the water.
τὸ συμβὰν ἐδίδαξεν: "showed her the effect" (Stern). τὸ συμβὰν is ptc. sing. aor. act. neut. acc. > συμβαίνω, “what happened,” i.e., that Athena looked silly with puffed out cheeks while playing the aulos. The effect can be can be seen in an Attic red-figure cup painted by the Euaion Painter, 460 B.C.–450 B.C.
5
αὐτοὺς: refers to the aulos.
ὁ ποιμήν: i.e., Marsyas.
καὶ ἄκοντος τοῦ χρωμένου: the adjective ἄκων here presumably implies not unwillingness, but simply a lack of positive intention, “even without the user intending it.”
6
χωρεῖ … κατὰ Μουσῶν: “to advance against” or “compete against the Muses.”
εἶναι λοιπόν: “to exist any longer.” Here λοιπόν is used adverbially.
ἂν μὴ πλεονεκτήσῃ τοῦ δαίμονος: protasis of a future more vivid conditional.
8
Μαρσύας ὄνομα: supply ἦν.
vocabulary
1
Μαρσύας –ου, ὁ Marsyas, a satyr
ἄγροικος –ον rustic; rude
μουσικός –ή –όν skilled in music; a musician
2
μισέω (contr.) to hate
αὐλός –οῦ, ὁ aulos, reed pipe; (often pl.)
κάλλος –ους, τό beauty
3
πηγή –ῆς, ἡ spring, stream
εἰκών –όνος, ἡ image, likeness
4
ῥίπτω, ῥίψω, ἔρριψα, ἔρριφα, ἔρριμμαι, ἐρρίφην to throw (away)
ὑφίσταμαι (from ὑφίστημι), ὑποστήσω, ὑπέστην, ὑφέστηκα, ὑφέσταμαι, — to lurk, be hiding
5
προσάπτω, προσάψω, προσῆψα, —, προσῆμμαι, προσήφθην to put (acc.) onto (dat.)
χεῖλος –ους, τό lip
ποιμήν –ένος, ὁ shepherd
ᾄδω, ᾄσω, ᾖσα, —, ᾖμαι, ᾔσθην to sing
θεῖος –α –ον divine
ἄκων, ἄκουσα, ἆκον (contracted form of ἀέκων) unwilling(ly)
6
χωρέω, contr. to go, advance
Μοῦσα –ης, ἡ Muse
Ἀπόλλων –ωνος, ὁ Apollo
πλεονεκτέω, contr. to get the better of, outdo
7
φιλονεικία –ας, ἡ love of competition; contentiousness
δέρμα –ατος, τό skin
ἧττα –ης, ἡ defeat
ἐκδύω, ἐκδύσω, ἐξέδυσα, ἐκδέδυκα, ἐκδέδυμαι, ἐξεδύθην to strip off, take off
8
Φρυγία –ας, ἡ Phrygia, a region of Asia Minor
Φρύξ Φρῠγός, ὁ Phrygian
ῥεῦμα –ατος, τό stream, river