Olympus the Musician in Ancient Greek Art: Mythology and Music History
Metamorphoses of Orpheus. Musical Images from Greek Mythology and Their Revivals in European Art. Corfu, Ionian Academy, 26-29 June 2008
4 Pages Posted: 26 Mar 2013
Date Written: June 1, 2008
Abstract
This paper considers the range of representations of Olympos the musician in Greek art. They reveal a striking duality. In the branch of Greek mythology, Olympos is a subsidiary figure primarily connected with the unsavoury character of Marsyas. But in the study of Greek music he is a highly reputed musical "inventor". Clearly, an integrated cultural historical perspective is adequate and produces a more complex understanding of local variations in Olympos' representations in Greek art.
Keywords: Marsyas, ancient Greek music, musical mythology, Greek mythology
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