108 MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS RITES. 
was his love for Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneus.. She did not 
return his affection, but sought to escape from his presence, and when he 
pursued her addressed herself for protection to Zeus. - Immediately her 
foot sank into the ground spreading out in the form of roots, her arms 
raised in supplication were changed to boughs, her fingers became twigs, 
and her hair green leaves, and when her impetuous lover came up to her 
she had already been transformed into a laurel-tree (pl. 17, jig. 26). 
Apollo embraced the trunk, and adopted it for his favorite tree. ) 
Apollo enjoyed unusual celebrity for musical skill. After receiving from 
Hermes the lyre, he invented the cithara, and learned from Athene how to 
perform on the flute. While playing on this instrument in the divine 
assembly, Athene was derided for the swelling of her cheeks, and in a fit 
of rage threw it away. A Phrygian herdsman or satyr, Jarsyas, found it, 
and by diligent practice soon became proficient in its use. In pl. 25, fig. 
9, we see him giving instructions to his pupil Olympos. Proud, however, 
of his fancied superiority, he challenged Apollo to a musical contest, assert- 
ing that the flute was a more perfect instrument than the lyre (jig. 8). The 
god accepted the challenge, and the Muses were appointed to decide on 
the merits of the performers. When Marsyas played the flute the Muses 
danced ; but when Apollo played the lyre and accompanied its notes with 
songs, the Muses stood enraptured and motionless. Marsyas now objected 
that the singing compensated for the defects of the lyre; but Apollo inverted 
the lyre and dispensed with the singing, and still charmed the listeners. 
As Marsyas could not produce such an effect, and besides could not sing 
and play at the same time, of course the decision was in favor of his adver- 
sary, who flayed him alive as a punishment for the presumption of contend- 
ing with a god, and tied him to a tree, suspending the flute from one of 
its branches, and all the prayers and supplications of Olympos could not 
procure pardon for his vanquished master ( pl. 20, jig. 7). 
The sun god, Helios, bears a strong resemblance to Apollo, and is some- 
times regarded as identical with him. He was the son of Hyperion, and 
was represented in the form of a young man. From his head issued rays ; 
a ball, the symbol of the world which he illuminated, was supported by one 
hand and a cornucopia by the other, indicating the fertility and productive- 
ness which he caused. At his feet are his horses Aéthon and Pyrois ( pl. 20, 
jig. 13). He was also regarded as the god of time, who kept sacred herds 
of cattle and horses, which he counted daily, and whose number exactly 
equalled the days and nights of a lunar year. His chief occupation was 
to guide across the sky the sun chariot drawn by the four fairy horses. 
He led them out each morning from the eastern gates of the horizon over 
an oblique arch to the gates of the west, and thence during the night to 
eastern Ethiopia, where he bathed his horses in the glittering sun pool. 
Thence he returned to his residence, Colchis, whence the next day he 
resumed his fiery course. In later times this god was united with Apollo, 
and was reverenced under the name Phebus, or Phebus Apollo.. In this 
character we see him represented (pl. 26, jig. 11) directing the horses of 
the sun, and accompanied by the Howrs or Seasons. 
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