Satyrs (also known as Silens) are considered some of Greek mythologys most iconic and recognizable creatures. These exclusively male nature spirits are primarily human with snubbed noses, ears, tails, and sometimes the lower bodies of a horse or goat. They are associated with festivity, music, sex, and the wild forests, and they serve Dionysus, the god of wine. Satyrs are also the focus of stories such as the myth of Selinus, the mentor of Dionysus, and the arrogant musician Marsyas.What Did Satyrs Look Like?Red-Figure Column Krater (Mixing Vessel): Satyrs Pursuing Maenads, attributed to Naples Painter, 440430 BCE. Source: Cleveland Museum of ArtIn popular culture, satyrs or fauns in Roman myth are often envisioned as creatures with the lower body and horns of a goat and the upper body of a human. However, this is just one interpretation of Satyrs and Silens. Early depictions portrayed them as comically hideous, bearded, balding men with an exaggeratedly large erect penis, ears, tails, and occasionally lower legs of a horse or goat.Thanks to the enduring artistic forms of black and red figure pottery, we know how the image of the satyr evolved throughout ancient Greece. While early satyrs and silens always had the ears and tails of horses, other elements evolved. Pottery from the early 6th century BCE often depicted them with human or horse legs, yet by the end of the century, depictions of the human-legged version became common.Drinking cup (kylix) with satyr seated on a storage jar (amphora), Painter Onesimos, about 500 BCE. Source: Museum of Fine Arts BostonSome scholars have speculated that the versions with human legs were the original satyrs, while their horse-legged counterparts were the silens. However, it is still uncertain if there was a genuine distinction between satyrs and silens, as the terms were used interchangeably. By the middle of the 5th century BCE, the early representations of satyrs and silens had evolved into the half-human, half-goat hybrid known today, depicted with goat ears, tails, and sometimes lower goat legs and horns. While the portrayals of satyrs and silens changed throughout ancient Greece, they maintained exaggerated features, including erect penises, snubbed noses, and bearded faces.What Are Their Origins?Birth of the Satyrs, by Pierre Brebiette, 16101642. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of ArtSatyrs and silens have conflicting origin stories, much like many figures from Greek myth. The oldest written account comes from the 6th century BCE in the fragmented Catalogue of Women attributed to Hesiod. According to Hesiod, the original satyrs were the offspring of the Hecaterides nymphs of the rustic dance and siblings of the Oread Nymphs, and the Cretan nature spirits called the Kouretes. Other accounts claim that the satyrs were the offspring of the god Hermes and Iphthime, the daughter of Dorus, founder of the Dorian tribe. Silenus, arguably the most famous satyr and mentor of Dionysus, was also believed to have been the father of all satyrs and was often given the title Papposilenus, meaning father Silenus.Nymphs and Satyr, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1873. Source: Clark Art InstitutePan, the Greek god of nature, shepherds, goatherds, rustic music, and the wild, shares many similarities with satyrs and silens. Like them, Pan is a hybrid creature with the ears, horns, and the lower body of a goat. Additionally, Pans carefree and lustful personality resembles a satyrs and he is often considered to be the progenitor of satyrs, but he was a god and not necessarily a satyr himself. The shift in depictions from horse-like and human-legged satyrs to the more popular goat-like satyrs may have occurred in part to align them with Pan, the original rowdy music-loving deity of the woodlands and wilds.Similar to nymphs, satyrs were believed to be born in various ways. They were not only the offspring of other satyrs but could also be born spontaneously or from the union of gods, mortals, and nature spirits such as nymphs. For example, Silenus was considered the son of either Hermes or Pan and a nymph. Marsyas was the child of a nymph and either the mortal Thracian King Oeagrus or one of the legendary musicians, Hyagnis or Olympus.What Did They Do?Two Satyrs, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1618-1619. Source: Web Gallery of ArtIn a fragment attributed to Hesiod, the poet describes satyrs as a group of good-for-nothings unfit for work. This sentiment is supported by their portrayal in black and red figure pottery, where they often engage in revelry, such as drinking, dancing, impressive acrobatic feats, playing music, chasing nymphs, and having sex. The visual record also includes representations of satyrs and silens participating in exaggerated, sometimes comedic, sometimes grotesque activities.Red-figured psykter (wine-cooler) with satyrs revelling, Douris painter, ca. 500-490 BCE. Source: The British MuseumSatyrs and silens were considered wild and carefree woodland beings that lacked inhibition and impulse control. They were untameable, acting on their base instincts like centaurs. Unlike their horse-hybrid cousins, satyrs were not aggressive or violent. They were seen as relatively harmless and cowardly creatures. They were often shown as frolicking and playing music in woodland groves, dancing alongside nymphs or chasing them. The motif of satyrs lustfully chasing nymphs was a common theme in visual art. However, most of the time, the satyrs were unsuccessful in catching the nymphs they pursued.Satyrs, as commonly depicted in representations of nature spirits, were known as tricksters and troublemakers. They were often accused of playing pranks, meddling, stealing personal property, harassing, and attempting (but almost always failing) to seduce women. In Roman mythology, satyrs or fauns would trick woodland travelers, leading them to become lost in the forests forever.Satyrs and DionysusThe Triumph of Bacchus, by Cornelis de Vos after Peter Paul Rubens, 1636-1637. Source: RKD Netherlands Institute for Art HistoryWhile some depictions of satyrs and silens may have been for aesthetic or comedic interest, the unruly and wild representations of these woodland creatures also had religious significance. Satyrs were the servants and companions of Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, festivity, ritual madness, spiritual ecstasy, and theater. Along with Maenads, satyrs made up the Thiasos, Dionysuss ecstatic entourage of drunk and wild revelers.Many of the activities depicted by Satyrs are in honor of or a part of one of Dionysuss many forms of merrymaking and worship. This includes participating in a Komos, a ritualistic drunken procession performed at important festivals and weddings.Black-figured hydria Dionysiac thiasos, Pamphaios, 520 BCE. Source: The British MuseumThe connection between satyrs and Dionysus goes beyond a shared interest in wine and revelry. According to some traditions, Dionysus was raised and mentored by the satyr Silenus. Satyrs would often accompany their god on his adventures. One notable example is Dionysuss journey to India, as told in Nonnuss Dionysiaca, where the god of wine leads an army of mostly satyrs and silens against his enemies. Satyrs also came to their gods aid during the Gigantomachy. Sticking to their ridiculous and comedic characters, they charged into battle on donkeys and inadvertently scared the giants with the braying of their steeds.Calyx Krater (mixing bowl for wine and water): Return of Hephaistos to Olympos, Attributed to The Kleophrades Painter, 500 BCE. Source: Harvard Art MuseumsIn 5th-century Athens, satyrs and silens also featured in the worship of Dionysus during the festivals Dionysia and Lenaea. During these festivals, the Athenians would honor Dionysus, the god of theater, through theatrical performances, including tragedies, comedies, and satyr plays. Satyr plays were known for their chorus of satyrs, in which the actors dressed up as satyrs wearing fake wooden phalluses, furry goat leggings, and snub-nosed masks. The renowned Satyr Silenus or Papposilenus directed the chorus, leading the other satyrs through the performance.Not much is known about satyr plays as only one play, Euripidess Cyclops, has survived in its entirety. These plays seemed to be a genre that straddled the line between tragedies and comedies. Similar to tragedies, they focused on retelling mythological narratives, but the satyr chorus introduced more burlesque elements, like crude and sexually explicit jokes, which were more commonly found in comedies. Satyr plays often included a happy ending, which was unheard of in the mythic narratives found in tragedies. The famous depiction of satyrs with the lower body of a goat and the upper body of a human became widespread through Athenian satyr plays, along with their association with the god Pan, establishing the common perception of them.Satyrs in Myth: Ampeluss First Love of DionysusBacchus en Ampelus, by Pieter Serwouters, 1616-1657. Source: RijksmuseumSatyrs and silens were Dionysuss first family, parental figures, and his first love. According to myth, a young Dionysus fell in love with a satyr named Ampelus. Unlike his fellow satyrs, Ampelus was incredibly beautiful, lacking a snubbed nose, a balding head, and an unkempt beard. The young lovers immersed themselves in revelry, wrestling and frolicking through the forests and hills. Tragically, their love was not meant to last, and Ampelus died.In one version, Ampeluss death was caused by the goddess Hera, who initially detested Dionysus, an embarrassing illegitimate child of Zeus, much like Heracles. According to the myth, Hera sends the goddess Ate, the personification of moral blindness and delusion, to provoke Ampelus into riding a bull and then insulting the cow-drawn chariot of Selene, the goddess of the moon. As punishment, Selene sent a gadfly that bit the bull, causing it to fling Ampelus off its back and gore him to death.Ampeluss body transformed into the first grapevine, and his blood formed the first grapes. The broken-hearted Dionysus named this new plant after his lover and invented wine using the last gift given to him by Ampelus. In another version, after Dionysus discovers how to make wine, Ampelus dies and falls out of an elm tree. Dionysus transformed Ampelus into the constellation Botes and named the grapevine in honor of his lover afterward.Satyrs in Myth: Silenus, Mentor of DionysusSilenus drunk, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1592-1640. Source: RKD Netherlands Institute for Art HistoryIn mythology, Silenus is portrayed as the oldest, wisest, and most respected satyr. He is depicted as a cheerful, balding older man with a bulging belly, resembling early depictions of satyrs and silens. In most artworks, Silenus has human legs but also sports the tail and ears of a horse and, later, a goat. Like other satyrs, Silenus enjoys music, sex, and drinking. He is often depicted as being drunkenly carried by attendants or riding a donkey. Despite his love for revelry, he was revered for his wisdom and unique prophetic abilities. When Silenus got drunk, he gained the ability to see into the future.Silenus is best known for raising and mentoring the Olympian god Dionysus. Dionysus resulted from an affair between Zeus and the Theban princess Semele. Unfortunately, Semele became the target of Zeuss wife, Hera, who tricks Semele, leading to her death while pregnant. While Zeus managed to rescue Dionysus, he could not raise the child and risk further angering Hera. So, Zeus entrusted Silenus, the wisest of the satyrs, to raise and protect his son. Despite Heras efforts to torment Dionysus in his childhood, Silenus provided mentorship and protection to the young god, offering him a home and a family among the rowdy satyrs.Silenus Holding the Child Dionysus, Louvre Museum, Paris, photo by Charles Soulier, 1860s. Source: Cleveland Museum of ArtSilenus is also featured in the famous myth of King Midas and his golden touch. The Phrygian King Midas was a fair ruler, but his kingdom was not wealthy. One day, while walking through his palaces famous rose garden, Midas stumbled upon Silenus sleeping under a tree. Silenus had gotten drunk and wandered away from Dionysuss entourage while the god of wine traveled through Phrygia the night before. Midas hosted Silenus while he regained his bearings, leading to ten nights of drunken revelry, during which Silenus entertained Midas with music, dance, and captivating stories.Silenus decided to leave on the eleventh day, and Midas offered to escort him back to Dionysus. After a few days of searching, Midas reunited Silenus with Dionysus in Lydia. Dionysus was overjoyed and, as a reward, offered to grant any wish Midas asked of him. The King wished that anything he touched be turned to gold. Perhaps Midas made the wish out of greed or to help see his poor kingdom prosper. Regardless, Dionysus agreed, and Midas returned home with a new gift known today as the Midas touch.Silenus and King Midas, by Giulio Bonasone, 16th century. Source: Cleveland Museum of ArtHowever, Dionysus took the Kings wish very literally. Everything the King touched transformed his clothing, food, water, and, tragically, his young daughter after she hugged him. The wish looked more like a curse, and after his daughters transformation, Midas returned to Dionysus and begged the god to take back his gift. Dionysus instructed the King to bathe in the river Pactolus to cleanse himself of the gift and anything he had touched. The tale became a cautionary story for the dangers of excessive greed and the realization that true happiness cannot be achieved through material wealth alone.In another version of the myth, Midas captures a drunken Silenus to gain the old satyrs wisdom. Silenus is initially reluctant to give Midas any wisdom but eventually relents and gives two rather pessimistic pieces of advice. According to Silenuss wisdom, the best thing for a human is not to be born at all, and failing that, the second-best thing is to die as soon as possible.Satyrs in Myth: Marsyas, the Flayed MusicianYoung Marsyas (Marsyas Enchanting the Hares), by Elihu Vedder, 1878. Source: Wikimedia CommonsThe myth of Marsyas explores the dangers of hubris and the fickle cruelty of the Olympian gods. The tale begins with the invention of the instrument most associated with satyrs: the panpipes. In most versions of the myth, Athena is credited with inventing the instrument. However, Athena threw away the instrument in embarrassment when she saw her reflection, with her puffed-out cheeks and strained face. Afterward, Marsyas found the instrument while frolicking through the forests as satyrs are wont to do. Marsyas had an innate gift for music and quickly began to excel at playing the new and unheard-of instrument.Equipped with the panpipes, Marsyas gained a reputation as one of the lands most talented musicians. The praise went to Marsyass head, and he began to boast to anyone who would listen that he was the greatest musician in the world, even better than Apollo, the god of music. Bolstered by his newfound fame, Marsyas openly challenged Apollo to a music contest to determine whether his panpipes or the music gods lyre was superior. In the myth, Apollo and Marsyas agreed to a contest and chose a judge. They decided that the winner could do whatever they wanted to the loser. In most versions, the judges are the Muses or King Midas of Phrygia. However, alternative judges include the mountain god Timolus, Nysean nymphs, or Athena.The Musical Contest between Apollo and Marsyas, by Cornelis van Poelenburgh, 1630. Source: Hallwyl MuseumAt the start of the competition, it was clear that Apollo and Marsyas were both outstanding musicians and equally talented. However, Apollo ultimately emerged as the winner by changing the games rules. In one version, Apollo won by playing his instrument upside down and challenging Marsyas to do the same, only for Marsyas to fail. In another version, Apollo triumphed by singing while playing his Lyre, a feat even the greatest musician could not achieve when playing the panpipes. The judges declared Apollo the winner and the greatest musician of all time. As his prize, Apollo was allowed to do whatever he wanted to Marsyas.Flaying of Marsyas, by Titian, c. 15701576. Source: Krom Archdiocesan MuseumApollo inflicted cruel and terrible punishment on the satyr, who dared to boast that he was a better musician than the god of music. Apollo bound Marsyas to a tree and flayed him alive. It was believed that the blood dripping from Marsyass skinless body, or the tears of onlookers, turned into the River Marsyas, which supplied water to the winding Byk Menderes River in Turkey. Apollo kept Marsyass flayed skin as a trophy, turning it into a wineskin.Marsyas died due to the excruciating punishment, but in some versions of the myth, he managed to survive and flee to the Italian peninsula. In some versions, Apollo would come to regret his brutal actions and, out of shame and regret, destroy his lyre and never play it again.