--- title: Pan: The Pastoral God of Ancient Greece author: Mark Cartwright source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Pan/ format: machine-readable-alternate license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) updated: 2025-04-18 --- # Pan: The Pastoral God of Ancient Greece _Authored by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/)_ Pan is a figure from [Greek mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Mythology/) who was originally a pastoral [god](https://www.worldhistory.org/God/) from Arcadia. It was believed Pan dwelt in the mountains and forests of [Greece](https://www.worldhistory.org/greece/). He was the patron of shepherds, hence one of his attributes is the *lagobolon* - a hare trap. Not fully human in form, Pan's legs are that of a goat and he has horns sprouting from his head. Pan was strongly associated with [music](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Music/) and its magical powers; he is credited with inventing the *syrinx* musical instrument, better known as the [panpipes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Panpipes/). ### Pan Invents the Panpipes A wide assortment of myths surround Pan's parentage but [Hermes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hermes/) is most often named as his father and a [Nymph](https://www.worldhistory.org/nymph/) as his mother. In [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) [mythology](https://www.worldhistory.org/mythology/), Pan fell in love with the beautiful nymph Syrinx, daughter of Ladon the river-god. Fleeing his attentions, Syrinx pleaded with [Zeus](https://www.worldhistory.org/zeus/) to save her and just when Pan captured the wood nymph, Zeus turned her into reeds. Enraged, Pan smashed the reeds into pieces but on reflection he was struck with remorse and wept and kissed the broken reeds, all that remained of his beloved. As he kissed the reeds he discovered that his breath could create sounds from them and so he made the musical instrument that would carry the lost nymph's name. Other female figures who aroused the affections of Pan were the nymphs Echo and Pitys and also [Selene](https://www.worldhistory.org/Selene/), the personification of the moon. Finally, in some myths, Pan also had amorous intentions towards the goddess [Aphrodite](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aphrodite/). ### How Was Pan Worshipped? Caves were often associated with worship of the god, notably, the Korkykeion cave on the slopes of Mt. Parnassos which was dedicated to the worship of both Pan and the Nymphs. Another cave used as a point of worship was the Vari cave in Attica. Shepherds, in particular, sacrificed to the god, usually kids, goats or sheep or offered small herdsmen statues made of clay as votive offerings. Other typical offerings to Pan included vases, lamps and grasshoppers made of [gold](https://www.worldhistory.org/gold/). Along with [Artemis](https://www.worldhistory.org/artemis/), he was also held in high esteem by hunters and his realm was seen as that of small game such as wild birds. Pan was particularly associated with [Delphi](https://www.worldhistory.org/delphi/) and [Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/), where a cult to the god was established which included castrated goat sacrifices and torch races. According to myth (told by the Greek historian [Herodotus](https://www.worldhistory.org/herodotus/)) this cult was established in return for Pan's assistance to the Athenians at the [battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) of [Marathon](https://www.worldhistory.org/marathon/). [ ![Panpipes](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/750x750/689.jpg?v=1773050789) Panpipes Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/689/panpipes/ "Panpipes")### How Was Pan Represented in Art? Pan appears in Greek art from around 500 BCE and in his early representations on [Greek pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Pottery/) he is all-goat, standing upright on his hind goat legs. In later [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) he acquires a human upper body and head but with goat horns and is often in the company of Maenads and Satyrs. The god also became associated with the rituals and festivities associated with [Dionysos](https://www.worldhistory.org/Dionysos/). In the 4th century BCE Pan appeared on the reverse side of coins minted for the Arcadian League. In the [Hellenistic period](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hellenistic_Period/), the popularity of the god increased and he became associated with the panic which could spread amongst soldiers in the heat of battle. A similar excess of violent emotion (*panolepsia*) could also overcome an individual. In [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) times the god became known as the All, a sort of universal god, which was a play on the other meaning of the word pan. #### Editorial Review This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## Bibliography - [Boardman, J. *ATHENIAN BLACK FIGURE VASES.* Thames & Hudson, 1993.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B000HI5E88/) - [Boardman, J. *Athenian Red Figure Vases.* Thames & Hudson, London, 1997.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B000S73SLI/) - Carabatea, M. *Greek Mythology.* Pergamos, Peania, 2007 - [Hornblower, S. *The Oxford Classical Dictionary.* Oxford University Press, USA, 2012.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0199545561/) ## About the Author Mark is WHE’s Publishing Director and has an MA in Political Philosophy (University of York). He is a full-time researcher, writer, historian and editor. Special interests include art, architecture and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. ## Timeline - **c. 500 BCE**: [Pan](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pan/) first appears in [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) art. - **c. 360 BCE**: [Pan](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pan/) appears on the reverse of coins of the Arcadian League. ## Questions & Answers ### What does 'pan' mean? In Greek, "pan" means "all". It was used for the pastoral god of that name, perhaps because he was thought to live everywhere and anywhere there is nature. ### Who is Pan the god of? Pan was a pastoral god in ancient Greece. He was linked to shepherds and music, especially the panpipes which he invented. ### How was Pan worshipped? Pan was worshipped in caves of all kinds in ancient Greece. Shepherds, in particular, offered sacrifices of goats or food to the god for his protection. ## Cite This Work ### APA Cartwright, M. (2013, February 14). Pan: The Pastoral God of Ancient Greece. *World History Encyclopedia*. ### Chicago Cartwright, Mark. "Pan: The Pastoral God of Ancient Greece." *World History Encyclopedia*, February 14, 2013. . ### MLA Cartwright, Mark. "Pan: The Pastoral God of Ancient Greece." *World History Encyclopedia*, 14 Feb 2013, . ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Mark Cartwright](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/markzcartwright/ "User Page: Mark Cartwright"), published on 14 February 2013. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). 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