Marsyas

Marsyas (Greek Μαρσύας Marsyas, Latin and dtsch, Marsyas '); originally god of the river, which rises near Kelainai, a thriving in the ancient city in southern Phrygia, at the sources of the meander. In the Greco-Roman legend, a satyr (or Silenus ), a semi- divine being, son of Hyagnis, companion of Cybele. Several ancient authors vary the saga, such as Herodotus ( 7:26 ) or Ovid ( Metamorphoses 6382-400 ).

Myth

In addition to various other variants of the Marsyas myth is following a maybe original: Athena ( ingenuity, wisdom) invented after the decapitation of the Gorgon Medusa, the double flute ( aulos ) and a certain melody that mimicked the dirge of Euryale, the sister of Medusa. But when she saw her face in the game mirrored in a water and noticed that playing the instrument disfigured her face, she threw away the flute. Marsyas, who moved accompanying the raging and drums beating through Phrygia Cybele, was the instrument, learned the game and became so convinced of his art that he asked Apollo to the competition. The Muses, which fell to the arbitration board, first saw Marsyas as the dominator. But when his Apollo Kitharspiel yet added the vocals, this could emerge victorious. Apollo Flaying Marsyas hanging on a punishment on a Spruce ( The Sacred Tree of Cybele ), the suspended Satyr was skinned alive. From his blood sprang from the same river Marsyas. Pseudo - Palaephatus reports: " I ​​myself saw the river in Phrygia, which is named after him. And the Phrygians say that the river originated from the blood of Marsyas. " Herodotus (5th century BC ) White 7.26: " In the city Kelainai also the skin of the satyr Marsyas hangs. This has deducted the Marsyas according to the legend of Phrygian Apollo and hung up here. " Similarly, Xenophon (4th century BC), anab. 1,2,8: "Here is the Apollo Marsyas, after he defeated him in the contest, skinned and they have hung in the spring grotto. That is why the river is called Marsyas. "

With some probability, also in comparison with the flow of the Midas myth, which is proven to contain gold, Marsyas was a eisenoxidhaltiger small stream or river, the red color of blood and therefore with a " divine judgment " of antiquity was connected. The extent of this " blood flow " may have been associated with a correspondingly large breach, as it illustrates the removal or flaying the skin of animals (The punishment of Schindens not used for the ancient Greek world, but in the ancient East was consistently ).

On the interpretation

The Marsyas myth is, presumably, a variant of the ancient widespread hubris allegory, where half- divine or mortal wants to rise above Divine ( Perfect, Timeless ) and cruelly punished for part ( turned to stone or animal, struck with madness provided with donkey ears, etc. ).

Hubris was the old idea a nymph who became the father of the god Pan with Zeus. Marsyas here often equated with Pan in ancient representations, but without the attributes of God, and therefore more of a metaphor for the mind loose impulses of man seems to be. The hubris is illustrated here by the example of the art. The arts were in the ancient Greek understanding, the highest expression of the competition ( the Agon ), since they only skill ( techne ) with wisdom ( sophia ) combined. The Muses sometimes occur even in the contest, partly they exercise the magistracy in the art from. Although the wisdom ( Athena ) invents the art, here the flute, but her practicing, so the artwork is against her ( at rest ) beings - in the parable distorted the work of art - making ( poein ) the traits of the goddess of the mind. The desires ( Marsyas ) follow the desire for recognition, which is expressed in Agon. The madness of desire that she could rise in the work on the ephemeral, as old as the culture falls under the merciless Court of the Muses and Apollo.

The Marsyas myth is probably not a representation against the work of art in itself, but against the artist who does not make the work with humility and submission, whose work is therefore not an expression of humility. The famous beginnings of Western poetry in Homer are often interpreted in this sense: " Tell me, Muse"; "From anger sing, O goddess ." The rejection of the will of the artist has since been expressed again and again. " Wish I would, sir, not by me willed. " Similar but also about Paul Cézanne: About a paradox of Michelangelo "But if he comes in between [ the artist ], if he dares, the Wretched to interfere at will in the translation process, then he just brings his insignificance in, the work is inferior " and elsewhere: ". Around the need to paint then use the craft, but a humble craft that obeys and is ready to unconsciously transferred ".

The myth is also a aition for in the Phrygian city Kelainai suspended and issued human skin ( cf. Herodotus 7.26 ).

After Wilamowitz of the myth shows the Attic contempt of the Phrygian flute and the superiority of their own and make kithara ( The faith of the Hellenes, Vol.1, Berlin 1931, p.189, A.2) The classic presentation of Myron ( 450 v. AD) is aimed at precisely this link between wisdom ( Athena, Apollo, lyre ) and desire ( Marsyas, flute). The Flaying thus is also a symbol of catharsis, that is, the tabernacle must be stripped from pain, to reach a higher form of knowledge. To spiritualize itself, the natural essence of all desire must renounce spoken Freudian, is the painful victory of the reality principle over the pleasure principle.

Representations in art

Using Roman copies, especially the marble copy from the Lateran in Rome, the original classic version of Myron was reconstructed. In addition, there were representations of the full group on coins of Athens, on a vase and a relief, so that the reconstruction is reasonably assured. Also from this figure group copies were used for decorative purposes in houses and gardens. A bronze reconstruction of Myron Group is located in Liebighaus in Frankfurt Inside the museum, the ancient Alberici sarcophagus showing the flaying of Marsyas is.

The scene with the flaying of Marsyas found among others in the Renaissance by the painter Titian 1570-1576 their reception. Even in later periods of art comes before this image. Jusepe de Ribera, for example, used this motif in several ways.

A modern form of Marsyas Alfred Hrdlicka has created.