Phrygian Satyr who was punished and flayed as a result of challenging Apollo with his pipe. Tarsus. Roman – Hellenistic Period. Copy of a work from the 3rd century BC. The torment of Marsyas shows the feeling of pity in Hellenistic art. Marsyas was a friend of Dionysus; as a famous pipe player, he boasted that he was a better musician than Apollo. When he was defeated in a musical contest with the god, it was decided that he would be skinned alive by the Scythian slave. He was hung from the trunk of a tree and awaited his terrible punishment

    by Worried-Owl-9198

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    1. Ohthatsnotgood on

      There is a lot of variation in the story from the ancients but from my understanding generally it was told that Marsyas learned to master the [aulos](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aulos) after Athena, the inventor, threw it away. Later he’d challenge Apollo to a contest of music, with the winner being able to do whatever they wanted to the other, so Apollo had him flayed.

      I can’t remember where I read it but, presumably, Marsyas envisioned something sexual while Apollo obviously did not.

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