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from her body in revenge.

Despite these set backs, Pan was not without his successes. Pan is said to have cavorted with all of the numerous Maenads, the female followers of Dionysus. Equally Pan was successful in tricking the Moon, the goddess Selene, into joining with him. This he did by disguising himself to hide his lower half in order that she should be seduced.

Despite his conquests offspring have not been recorded and it is only in some tales that Pan is said to have been the father of the other major goat god, Aegipan.

Aside from his sexual activity, Pan is most renowned for his music, and having invented the Panpipes he put them to the test in a contest against the lyre of Apollo. It was though a contest that Pan was to lose.

Other stories about Pan are rare, and although he was often linked to the travels of Dionysus, his other major stories relate to Pan's role in major battles. Pan was said to have taken credit for the defeat of the Titans when they tried to conquer Mount Olympus, he claiming that he has inspired "panic" amongst them. It was a story mirrored during the Battle of Marathon, when Pan inspired the same panic amongst the Persian forces, allowing for the victory of the Athenians.

As Pan was said to have been born in Arcadia it is perhaps not surprising that Arcadia was the primary area of Greece that worshipped the god. There was though a respectable level of respect paid to Pan across the rest of Greece though, including Argos and Aegina, especially where herdsmen were prevalent.

In addition to being the god of flocks and shepherds, Pan was also given the task of looking over groves, fields and wooded valleys.

Other than Pan's looks, there was one other factor that set him apart from the other Greek deities, and that is the fact that Pan is the only one said to have died. There are no tales told about the way that Pan died, but Plutarch tells of how the news was told to a sailor, Thamus, by the voice of another god.

Pan may not be classed as one of the greatest of Greek gods, but his role in looking after shepherds was a vital one for the agrarian population of ancient Greece. He is often depicted solely as a follower of Dionysus but it is an interesting task to ponder why of all of the Greek gods it was only Pan who was said to have died.

Learn more about this author, Tim Harry.
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