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Figures in the ancient sources

Satyrs in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Satyrs

36 passages from 4 ancient authors that tell of Satyrs, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Satyrs are mythological creatures in Greek mythology known for their love of music, dance, and revelry, often accompanying Dionysus. For the story in one place, read our article on Satyrs.

Diodorus Siculus (1)

  1. Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.2.1–4.5.4DionysusIn the Greek account Semele, daughter of Cadmus, dies when Zeus appears to her in his glory, and Hermes takes the child to the nymphs at Nysa. Dionysus teaches mankind the vine and a barley drink, leads an army that includes women, and returns from India to be honoured by festivals every other year. Some writers speak of an earlier Dionysus, son of Zeus and Persephone, and the chapters list the god's epithets and his Satyr and Muse companions.

Pausanias (1)

  1. Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.23.1–10Athens Acropolis: Leaena the lioness, Diitrephes, the Satyrs and the Wooden HorsePausanias tells how Hippias tortured Leaena, Aristogiton’s mistress, and why the Athenians set up a bronze lioness, then describes the statue of Diitrephes pierced with arrows and his sack of Mycalessus. A digression on archery, a stone where Silenus rested, and Euphemus’ account of the Isles of the Satyrs follows. He also lists Myron’s Perseus, Praxiteles’ Brauronian Artemis, the bronze Wooden Horse and statues of Epicharinus, Oenobius and Phormio.

Nonnus of Panopolis (33)

  1. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 17.87–191Book 17: Astraeis reports the drugged river; Orontes challenges DionysosAstraeis tells Orontes how Dionysos poured a drug into the river, put the Indians to sleep and had them carried off as captives. Orontes returns to the field, where the Pans and Satyrs open the new battle with rocks, horns and a sickle. Orontes rallies his men, mocks Dionysos as a womanish fighter and challenges him to single combat.
  2. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 11.0–82Book 11: Ampelos swims with DionysosDionysos challenges Ampelos to a swimming race in the Pactolos and lets him win. Ampelos then dresses himself like Dionysos in vipers and spotted skins and rides wild beasts about the hills. Dionysos warns him to fear only the horns of the bull.
  3. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 12.325–397Book 12: The first vintage and the revels of the SatyrsDionysos sees a snake with its chin stained with wine and remembers an oracle of Rheia. He digs a winepress in the rock, and the Satyrs gather and tread the grapes with dancing steps. They drink the wine from ox-horns, and some of them grow bold with it and chase Nymphs and Bacchants.
  4. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 17.192–314Book 17: Orontes' duel with Dionysos and his deathOrontes scatters the Satyrs and Centaurs, killing the Centaur Hylaios with a hurled boulder, until he meets Dionysos face to face. His spear cannot wound the god, but Dionysos splits his breastplate with a cluster of vine. Orontes asks Helios to carry the news to Deriades, falls on his own sword and gives his name to the river; Dionysos taunts the corpse, and the Nymphs bury it and carve an epitaph.
  5. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 20.0–119Book 20: Discord rouses Dionysos in a dream; the host marchesAfter the games the company feasts in Botrys' palace, and Dionysos has Methe, Pithos and Botrys put off their mourning. In the night Discord, in the shape of Rheia, reproaches the sleeping god for neglecting the war and compares him unfavourably with Athena, Hermes, Apollo and Artemis. Dionysos wakes, arms and leads his host out, with his followers riding bears, bulls and lions.
  6. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 23.162–224Book 23: Hydaspes calls on his brother riversHydaspes calls on a brother river and on Aiolos to help him punish Dionysos, who has made the river a highway for chariots. He rises in a great wave that sweeps away the Bacchants, Maron and the Satyrs' gear, more furiously than Simoeis and Camandros once attacked Achilles.
  7. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 47.496–593Book 47: An Argive taunts Dionysos; Hera arms PerseusAn Argive mocks Dionysos, setting Perseus the Gorgon-slayer against him and urging him to go back to Thebes. Hera, taking the shape of the seer Melampus, urges Perseus to defend Argos, and Argos's heroes muster. Dionysos arms his Bacchants and Satyrs and protects himself with a gem against the Gorgon's gaze.
  8. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 10.139–217Book 10: Dionysos meets AmpelosDionysos and his Satyrs bathe in the river Pactolos. While hunting he meets the beautiful boy Ampelos and hides his godhead. He asks who the boy's parents are and says he must be the child of a god, perhaps of Selene.
  9. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 14.228–320Book 14: Dionysos marches through PhrygiaDionysos sets out armed with a thyrsus and a horn of wine, and the army passes the rock of Niobe, which warns the Indians not to fight a god. In Ascania the people submit. Hera, in the shape of an Indian, urges the captain Astraios to fight, and he drives off the heralds Pan and the Satyrs.
  10. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 17.315–397Book 17: The Bacchants rout the Indians; Aristaios heals the wounded; Blemys submitsThe fighting on the Taurus is renewed, and the Bacchic women and Satyrs defeat the armoured Indians with ivy and vine. Aristaios heals the wounded Bassarids with herbs and charms, and Astraeis flees. Blemys, chief of the Erythraian Indians, kneels to Dionysos, who sends him away to Arabia and the Nile to become king of the Ethiopians.
  11. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 18.87–195Book 18: The feast of Staphylos and Methe; Dionysos' dream of the lionA great banquet is held in the palace, and Maron, Methe, Staphylos, Botrys and old Pithos all dance drunk on the new wine. The next morning Dionysos wakes from a dream in which a lion drove him into the sea and mauled the Bacchant women until they bound it and lightning blinded it. He takes the dream as a warning of his coming battle with Lycurgos.
  12. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 27.144–240Book 27: The armies meet at the Indus; Dionysos arms his hostDionysos divides his Bacchic host into four divisions near the mouth of the Indus and addresses them. He promises to spare Hydaspes if he submits, orders Deriades to be taken captive and made a Bacchic worshipper, and threatens Phaethon and the Sun's daughter Lampetie if they help the Indians. The Bacchic army then advances with music, torches and snakes.
21 more passages of Nonnus of Panopolis that name Satyrs
  1. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 36.96–197Book 36: Hermes ends the gods' quarrel; the armies close
  2. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 10.321–430Book 10: Wrestling and racing with Ampelos
  3. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 11.83–213Book 11: Omens of Ampelos' death; he mounts the bull
  4. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 14.105–227Book 14: The Satyrs' leaders; the horned race
  5. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 16.71–227Book 16: Dionysos woos Nicaia and is refused
  6. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 17.0–86Book 17: Dionysos marches east; the shepherd Brongos is given wine
  7. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 18.0–86Book 18: Staphylos and Botrys welcome Dionysos to their palace
  8. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 19.263–348Book 19: Seilenos dances and becomes a river; Maron's address to the river
  9. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 24.179–241Book 24: Lament in the Indian city; the feast and the request for a song
  10. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 27.0–74Book 27: Dawn rises; Deriades boasts against the gods
  11. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 29.0–77Book 29: Hera inspires Deriades; Hymenaios is wounded
  12. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 30.0–99Book 30: Morrheus wounds Eurymedon; Hephaistos' fire and Hydaspes' rescue
  13. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 30.100–159Book 30: Morrheus kills Phlogios; Eurymedon kills Tectaphos
  14. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 31.132–198Book 31: Iris, in the shape of Night, persuades Sleep
  15. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 33.0–104Book 33: Pasithea tells Aphrodite of Dionysos' madness; Eros at play
  16. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 36.391–480Book 36: Ships are built for the sea-battle; Morrheus' speech; a truce
  17. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 38.0–102Book 38: An omen at midday; Idmon and Hermes interpret it
  18. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 43.143–224Book 43: Poseidon's threats; the Tritons and Pan fight on the waves
  19. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 43.307–449Book 43: Zeus ends the battle; Poseidon weds Beroe; Eros consoles Dionysos
  20. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 14.321–437Book 14: The first battle; wine in the river
  21. Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 45.273–358Book 45: The Bacchants break free; fire in Pentheus' palace

Orpheus (attributed) (1)

  1. Orpheus (attributed), Orphic Hymns 52–56Hymns 52-56: Trietericus, Amphietus Bacchus, Silenus and the Priestesses of Bacchus, Venus, AdonisThree more Dionysiac hymns address the triennial Bacchus, Amphietus Bacchus, who is called to rise with the nymphs, and Silenus, the Satyrs and the priestesses of Bacchus. Venus is hailed as the sea-born, laughter-loving queen, and Adonis as the best of daemons, who sinks into Tartarus and shines again in the heavens.