Pan: The God Who Almost Disappeared

Pan was one of Greek mythology’s most recognisable gods, but he began as a local god from the mountains of Arcadia. His place in Greek religion may have changed because of one runner, one battle, and a sudden moment of panic. Pan was the wild, goat-legged god of shepherds, flocks, mountains and music, closely linked with Arcadia and the nymphs who lived beyond the edges of Greek cities. But unlike Zeus, Apollo or Athena, Pan wasn’t originally one of Greece’s great gods. Ancient writers including Herodotus, Ovid and the author of the Homeric Hymn to Pan reveal how his mythology developed, from his strange birth and the origin of the pan pipes to his connection with fear, freedom and uncontrolled nature. We’ll also follow Pheidippides to the Battle of Marathon, where an encounter with Pan helped transform the god’s place in Greek religion, and examine some of the much darker stories hidden behind his familiar image. 🏛️ JOIN THE MYSTICS: Get early access to new documentaries and vote on future mythology topics. 👉    / @mysteriesofmythology   ▶️ WATCH NEXT: ↳ 💘 Aphrodite the Goddess of Love & Desire (And Starting Fights):    • Aphrodite the Goddess of Love & Desire (An...   ↳ 🔱    • Greek Myths Explained   🛒 Mythology Books and Creator Picks: https://www.amazon.com/shop/mysteries... 👕 Merch: https://mysteries-of-mythology-shop.f... ——————————————— ⏳ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 01:29 Arcadia: Pan’s Original Home 02:50 Panic at Marathon 04:32 The God Close To Home 05:38 Pan’s Strange Origins 07:26 Pan, Freedom, and Worship 09:36 The Story Behind the Pan Pipe 10:54 Pan’s Darker Side 11:40 The “Death of Pan” ——————————————— 📚 SOURCES & CREDITS: • Homeric Hymn 19 to Pan – https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/... • Herodotus, The Histories, Book 6.105 – https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/... • Ovid, Metamorphoses – https://users.pfw.edu/flemingd/_NEWMY... • Menander, Dyskolos – https://standrewsclassics.wordpress.c... • Plutarch, The Obsolescence of Oracles – https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/... • The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Marble Mask of Pan – https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collect... • British Museum, Pan/Faunus – https://www.britishmuseum.org/collect... ——————————————— 🔔 SUBSCRIBE →    / @mysteriesofmythology   ——————————————— 🔗 CONNECT WITH ME: ↳ 💬 Chat on Discord:   / discord   #Pan #GreekMythology #Arcadia #GreekGods #AncientGreece #Mythology #MysteriesOfMythology