Olympus

Olympus (or Olympos, ) is the name of two ancient Greek musicians, one mythical who lived before the Trojan War and purportedly introduced instrumental music into Greece, and one apparently real, who lived in the 7th century BC. Both musicians were connected with the auletic music, which had its origin in Phrygia. It is possible that the elder and mythical Olympus was invented through some mistake respecting the younger and historical Olympus. Mythical Olympus The elder Olympus belongs to the mythical genealogy of Mysian and Phrygian flute-players: Hyagnis, Marsyas, and Olympus, to each of whom the invention of the flute was ascribed, and under whose names we have the mythical representation of the contest between the Phrygian auletic and the Greek citharoedic music: some writers made him the father (instead of son, or disciple, and favourite) of Marsyas, but the genealogy given above was that more generally received. Olympus was said to have been a native of Mysia, and to have lived before the Trojan War. The compositions ascribed to him were old melodies appropriated to the worship of particular gods, the origin of which was so ancient as to be unknown, like those attributed to Olen and Philammon. Olympus not infrequently appears on works of art, as a boy, sometimes instructed by Marsyas, and sometimes as witnessing and lamenting his fate. After his father was flayed alive, Apollo gave the rest of his body to Olympus for burial. He was also said to be a student of the mythological god Pan in the playing of the flute, and numerous ancient works of art still exist depicting them wrestling.