Pan

Among the retinue of Dionysus god could often be seen Pan. When the great Pan was born, his mother nymph Driopa, looking at her son, fled in horror.

He was born with goat legs and horns and a long beard. But his father, Hermes, rejoiced at the birth of his son, he took him in his arms and carried him to the bright Olympus to the gods. All the gods loudly rejoiced at the birth of Pan and laughed looking at him.

The god Pan did not stay to live with the gods on Olympus. He went into the shady forests, into the mountains. There he grazes the flocks, playing a sonorous pipe. As soon as the nymphs hear the wonderful sounds of Pan's pipe, they rush to him in droves, surround him, and soon a merry dance moves through a green secluded valley, to the sounds of Pan's music. Pan himself likes to take part in nymph dances. When Pan is amused, then a cheerful noise rises in the forests on the slopes of the mountains. Nymphs and satyrs frolic merrily together with a noisy goat-footed Pan. When the hot afternoon comes, Pan retreats into the dense thicket of the forest or into a cool grotto and rests there. It is dangerous to disturb Pan then; he is hot-tempered, he can send a heavy oppressive sleep in anger, he can suddenly appear and frighten the traveler who disturbed him. Finally, he can also send panic fear, such horror, when a person rushes headlong, without taking apart the road, through forests, through mountains, along the edge of precipices, not noticing that flight threatens him with death every minute. It happened that Pan inspired a whole army with such fear, and it turned into an unstoppable flight. You should not annoy Pan - when he gets angry, he is formidable. But if Pan is not angry, then he is merciful and good-natured. He sends many blessings to the shepherds. The great Pan, a cheerful participant in the dances of frenzied maenads, a frequent companion of the god of wine Dionysus, protects and cares for the herds of Greeks.