MARSYAS, in fabulous history, a celebrated musician of Celenae in Phrygia, son of Olynpus, or of Hyagnis, or Cragrus. He was so skilful in playing on the flute, that he is generally deemed the inventor of it. According to the opinion of some, he found it when Minerva had thrown it aside on account of the distortion of her face when she played upon it. Marasyas was enamoured of Cybele, and he travelled with her as far as Nysa, where he had the imprudence to challenge Apollo to a trial of his skill as a musician. The god accepted the challenge, and it was mutually agreed that he who was defeated should be fled alive by the conqueror. The Muses, or (according to Diiodorus) the inhabitants of Nysa, were appointed umpires. Each exerted his utmost skill, and the victory, with much difficulty, was adjudged to Apollo. The god upon this tied his antagonist to a tree, and fled him alive: (See APOLLO.) The death of Marasyas was universally lamented; the Fauns, Satyrs, and Dryads, wept at his fate; and from their abundant tears arose a river of Phrygia, well known by the name of Marasyas. The unfortunate Marasyas is often represented on monuments, as tied with his hands behind his back to a tree, while Apollo stands before him with his lyre in his hands. In independent cities, among the ancients, the statue of Marasyas was generally erected in the forum, to represent the intimacy which subsisted between Bacchus and Marasyas as the emblems of liberty. At Celenae, the skin of Marasyas was shown to travellers for some time. It was suspended in the public place, in the form of a bladder or a foot ball.
The sources of the Marasyas were near those of the Meander, and those two rivers had their confluence a little below the town of Celenae.