PAN
Bronze coin from the city of Panticapaeum 310 – 304/3 BC, 21 mm, 6.5 grams. Obverse depiction of Pan, reverse griffin. REF: MacDonal 69. Anokhin 1023. SNG BM (Black Sea) 869-11
Brian Befano:
The coin depicted above is a bronze coin minted in the city of Panticapaeum, on the Cimmerian Bosporus in present day Crimea. The city was founded by Milesians in the late 7th century BC and by the 5th-4th centuries was the residence of the Thracian Kings of Bosporus. Situated on the eastern coast of Crimea, the city was far out on the eastern edge of Greece and represented an important strategic outpost on the boundary between Hellenistic Greece and the wilderness of the Caspian steppe. The coin depicts common imagery associated with the city including the obverse depiction of Pan and the reverse depiction of a griffin above a fish.
Pan, whose name means ‘to pasture’, appears in Greece myth associated with music, shepherds, and wilderness. He was the son of Hermis and the nymph Dryope, and is described as having the horns, ears, and legs of a goat on the body of a human. This half man half animal god is often associated with the satyrs of Dionysus. One important foundation myth was his creation of the panpipe, a reed-based instrument made after water-nymph Syrinx turned herself into reeds to escape the pursuit of a lecherous Pan. His association with shepherds and terror also explain the c, a word derived from the stampede that a flock of sheep would occasionally make which was blamed on Pan’s shout if he was woken from his afternoon nap.
Ancient Greece cities were responsible for minting coins used in local trade, specifically the bronze coinage needed for small scale transactions which were used almost entirely within the local economy. These local currencies often featured imagery associated with the local city and its population. Because of Pan’s dual nature as both animal and human, he provides an interesting opportunity to understand the local relationship with nature. In the case of coinage from Panticapaeum, their depiction of Pan as a wild, more animal than man, old figure, fits with a populace in an outpost town on the edge of civilization who choose to imbue their depiction with the wilderness all around them. In contrast, Greece coinage made contemporaneously on the Peloponnesian peninsula features Pan as a young handsome man with small horns, instead downplaying his wildness. Of further interest is the imagery used on the reverse of the coin. The fish, often suggested to be a sturgeon, is often seen on coinage from this coastal town. The Griffin, a chimera of a lion and an eagle, has a long tradition in this region of the world, going back to the middle Bronze age in Asia Minor and associated in local myths as the guardians of gold deposits in the mountains of Skythia. In the bronze coins of the 4th century from Panticapaeum we see a populace combining imagery from both an older culture as well as their Greek culture in a way that speaks to their specific geographical location on the edge of a wild and untamed wilderness.
References:
“GRIFFIN (Gryps) - Eagle-Headed & Winged Lion of Greek Mythology.” Theoi.com, 2000, www.theoi.com/Thaumasios/Grypes.html.
Morford, Mark, et al. Classical Mythology eleventh edition. Oxford University Press, 2018.
Rossi, Tyler. “The Life and Death of Pan and His Coins.” CoinWeek, 16 Jan. 2021, coinweek.com/ancient-coins/the-life-and-death-of-pan-and-his-coins/.
Theodoros Karasavvas. “Entering an Unknown Pagan Sanctuary: New Discoveries Made at a Roman Site in Israel.” Ancient-Origins.net, Ancient Origins, 11 Jan. 2017, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/failed-sex-god-horned-god-pan-and-his-unrequited-lusts-008037.
Avery Matson:
Pan himself was a part-human, part-goat God of wild spaces, fertility, and flocks and herds within wild spaces. As represented in CLAS 430, Pan is part of the retinue, or Thiasis, of Dionysus. Dionysus is the God of wine, winemaking, and intoxication, and has a role/function in contradictions, epiphanies, and revolutions, to name a few. The anthropomorphic aspect of Pan’s description from class can be seen in the exhibit above, as the coin’s depiction of Pan gives him the pointed ears, as well as perhaps the beard, of a goat. However, this depiction shows Pan as a “wild beast” and is arguably a less human, more goat-like, depiction of Pan than other forms of media representing Pan (Rossi). Knowing Pan is half-goat, half-human, tells us why he is depicted in a more animalistic manner in this Exhibit; understanding his characterization as a God of duality, perhaps in part due to his association with Dionysus, might give us clues as to why Pan has historically been depicted in a variety of different ways in other media, too.
While many Gods are similar to Pan in that they have several origin stories and depictions, Pan’s “genealogy exists in some 18 variants”, making Pan a God with uniquely diverse identities and connotations (Brown, 58). Therefore Pan (much like satyrs in Greek myths, also part of Dionysus’s retinue) has been depicted with varying levels of anthropomorphism, at the discretion of artists who interpreted Pan. This discretion most likely reflected the varying ways in which the artists understood Pan at their time and place.
Understanding Pan as part of Dionysus’s retinue, and Dionysus’s association with “change in response to epiphany and new information”, might be seen as further evidence as to why artists were so comfortable to change Pan’s own depictions throughout time and space and associate Pan with duality as well (Week 5 - Video #2: International God of Mystery: Dionysus). Dionysus’s function as a God of duality, contradictions, and revolution, as well as Pan’s position as part of Dionysus's retinue, might have provided justification for artists to change their depictions of Pan and his origins, attributes, and features, according to how they personally perceived Pan to work within their own life or society.
Regardless of whether part of Pan’s diversity in his depictions in media can be attributed to his association with Dionysus, what holds steady is that as people’s perceptions of him as a God changed and differed throughout times and spaces, so too did his depictions. This much appears to be supported by Rossi and Kantzios, who claim that while these changes do not fundamentally alter Pan’s identity, they do work to “bring him closer to human life and the workings of the polis”, (Kantzios, 33).
One of the main ways that Pan’s depiction changes to reflect a differing or changing perception of him, as we can see in the Exhibit, is in the varying levels of anthropomorphism, or human-ness, assigned to Pan by the artists depicting him. When one compares Pan’s depiction from the coin in this Exhibit to other coins containing the likeness of Pan from the same era, these diverse depictions are quite clearly seen. One might theorize whether Pan’s identity as a God of duality has been reinforced by his connections with other Gods of duality, such as Dionysus, but this should not distract from the fact that Pan is a God of duality in his own rite. Overall, this coin shows us how peoples’ diverse perceptions and depiction of Pan were often deeply tied to their personal relationships to and understanding of him throughout time and space.
References:
Brown, Edwin L. “The Divine Name ‘Pan’”, Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), vol. 107, 1977, pp. 57–61. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/284025.
Kantzios, Ippokratis. “‘OLD’ PAN AND ‘NEW’ PAN IN MENANDER’S DYSKOLOS”, The Classical Journal, vol. 106, no. 1, Oct. 2010, pp. 23–42.
Rossi, Tyler. “The Life and Death of Pan and His Coins.” CoinWeek, 16 Jan. 2021, coinweek.com/ancient-coins/the-life-and-death-of-pan-and-his-coins/.
La Fond, Marie. “Video #2: International God of Mystery: Dionysus.” Lesson 5. CLAS 430, 2021, Seattle, University of Washington, canvas.uw.edu/courses/1457478/pages/lesson-5-video-lectures?module_item_id=13108125.
Anissa Sanders:
The piece of metal you see above is a coin, but not just any coin. It is Pan’s coin. Pan, the greek god of the wilderness, is depicted as a man with the hind legs and horns of a goat. The Homeric Hymn to Pan describes him as “...goat-footed, two horned, lover of musical clangor - who wanders through wooded meadows together with a chorus and nymphs dancing along with the heights of sheer rock. They call upon Pan, the splendid shaggy-haired god of shepherds, who has for his domain every snowy ridge, and mountaintops and rocky summits.”(3). If you look closely at the front of the coin you can see his pointed ears and horns. Pan’s name means “shephard” or “protector'' and as it may suggest, his role was as a guardian to other nature deities.
Pan’s coins first appeared in the mountainous regions of Arcadia located in the Peloponnesian peninsula during the sixth century. This is where his homeland lies. There he served as an important religious figure that “connected humanity to the wild”
(1). His importance can be seen when you compare the coins minted in his homeland, Arcadia, in the mid fourth century BCE to contemporary coins from the Crimean city of Panticapaeum. His homeland depicts him as a youthful and attractive man with small horns while the Panticapaeum coin that you see above depicts him more as a beast. This duality of both man and beast matches not only his physical form, but also his character. His charming, but also beastly nature in the pursuit of his love interest. Divine lust mixed with divine anger. For example, the tragic ending to his unrequited love for the nymph Echo. She rejected him and fled and in his anger Pan created such a “panic” among his shepherds that they tore her to pieces. The only thing left of her was the echo of her last words. This is one of the reasons why the word ‘panic’ is derived from his name.
Like his coins, the god of the wilderness changed many times. As did humanity’s thoughts of and interactions with the wild. At first “ the wilderness was understood as a harsh and dangerous place”, but later began to be “viewed with great affection”(1). Regions like Arcadia and cities like Panticapaeum used Pan on their coins due to their strong connection to the wild. The coin above originates from the city Panticapaeum during the fourth century BCE and on the back of the coin was the city’s emblem, a griffin, and a sturgeon below it. Panticapaeum was a wealthy city on the Black Sea and fishing for sturgeon and other fish was a large part of not only their economy, but also their lifestyle. The same can be said for Pan and the wilderness.
References:
(1)Rossi, Tyler. “The Life and Death of Pan and His Coins.” CoinWeek, 16 Jan. 2021, coinweek.com/ancient-coins/the-life-and-death-of-pan-and-his-coins/.
(2)Batteiger, Jelka. “Pan.” CharliesNames, CharliesNames UG (Haftungsbeschränkt), charlies-names.com/en/pan/.
(3)Morford, Mark, et al. Classical Mythology eleventh edition. Oxford University Press, 2018.
(4)Markowitz, Mike. “Sea Creatures on Ancient Coins.” CoinWeek, 8 June 2020, coinweek.com/ancient-coins/sea-creatures-on-ancient-coins/.
Martha Benitez:
The following coin depicts the head of a bearded Pan on its obverse and a griffin prancing left, above a fish along with Π-Α-Ν written on its reverse side. It is estimated to have been minted between 310-304 BCE in the ancient city of Panticapaeum, located on the eastern shore of Crimea, which the Greeks referred to as Taurica. This city was founded by the Milesians in the late 7th century on Mount Mithridat, a hill on the Cimmerian Bosporus.
Pan himself in Greek mythology is a pastoral god who oversees the wild, shepherds and their flocks, and hunters. He is also often a companion to the nymphs. Although some 18 variations of his depiction exist, (Brown) the most common features attributed to him are a vigorous figure having the legs, horns and ears of a goat while maintaining an otherwise erect posture and upper body of a man. In various art, he appears holding either a lagobolon (a hare trap) or a musical instrument called the syrinx (Cartwright). Due to this, Pan is also associated with rustic music. However, he is not a very prominent figure in Greek mythology, but despite this, his influence extends to the modern-day world.
One of the ways this god of the wilderness continues his legacy is through the etymology of some words in the English language. It was said that one of Pan’s favorite pastimes was to torment unsuspecting travelers traversing through his territory. He would hide in the bushes, and as they neared his hiding place, he would rustle the leaves to create a sense of unsettledness in the victim. He would then run on ahead to intercept their path and repeat the action until the traveler, who had quickened their pace, was out of breath. Never would the traveler enter the forests of Acadia again, in fear of the unknown. Thus, this feeling of “fight or flight” that Pan instilled in people gave birth to the word “panic” (Dr. Hoffman). Another word that exists in our language courtesy of this god is the modern name for the flute-like syrinx, known today as “panpipes”. Legend has it that when the nymph Syrinx tried to escape Pan’s amorous advancements, her sisters transformed her into a reed to protect her. As Pan planned his next move, a breeze passed through a cluster of reeds, creating a melody. In love with the sound, Pan cut down some of the reeds into pieces and assembled them side by in decreasing lengths. Additionally, the word pan as it is used to mean “all”, is also attributed to be Pan’s influence.
Furthermore, another way Pan has lived on through the years is the cause of current pop culture. In Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up by J.M Barrie, the titular character, Peter Pan is partly based on Pan the god. (Egan) The parallels can be drawn between their shared instrument and by the fact that Barrie himself describes Peter Pan as “betwixt and between” human and animal (Ridley). Additionally, in the 2005-2009 book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, Pan is a character sought out by many satyrs when they are going on a quest. In addition, allusions to Pan have been made in many songs by modern artists including well-known names from Pink Floyd to Stevie Wonder.
As aforementioned, Pan lacks mention in Greek myths, so his prevalence is attributed to the many forms of art he appeared in. Art such as vases, statues or even the coin pictured above, and current works like Peter Pan will make sure his prevalence continues even further.
Works Cited
Egan, Michael, “The Neverland of Id: Barrie, Peter Pan, and Freud” in Children’s Literature. 10 (1982), 37-55
Brown, Edwin L. “The Divine Name ‘Pan’”, Transactions of the
American Philological Association
(1974-), vol. 107, 1977, pp. 57–61. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/284025.
Dr. Hoffman, Ronald “The Origin of ‘Panic.’”, 3 Dec. 2015, drhoffman.com/article/the-origin-of-panic-3/.
Cartwright, Mark. “Pan.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 31 July 2021, www.worldhistory.org/Pan/.
Ridley, Rosalind (2016). Peter Pan and the Mind of J M Barrie. UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Works Cited
“GRIFFIN (Gryps) - Eagle-Headed & Winged Lion of Greek Mythology.” Theoi.com, 2000, www.theoi.com/Thaumasios/Grypes.html.
Morford, Mark, et al. Classical Mythology eleventh edition. Oxford University Press, 2018.
Rossi, Tyler. “The Life and Death of Pan and His Coins.” CoinWeek, 16 Jan. 2021, coinweek.com/ancient-coins/the-life-and-death-of-pan-and-his-coins/.
Theodoros Karasavvas. “Entering an Unknown Pagan Sanctuary: New Discoveries Made at a Roman Site in Israel.” Ancient-Origins.net, Ancient Origins, 11 Jan. 2017, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/failed-sex-god-horned-god-pan-and-his-unrequited-lusts-008037.
Brown, Edwin L. “The Divine Name ‘Pan’”, Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), vol. 107, 1977, pp. 57–61. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/284025.
Kantzios, Ippokratis. “‘OLD’ PAN AND ‘NEW’ PAN IN MENANDER’S DYSKOLOS”, The Classical Journal, vol. 106, no. 1, Oct. 2010, pp. 23–42.
La Fond, Marie. “Video #2: International God of Mystery: Dionysus.” Lesson 5. CLAS 430, 2021, Seattle, University of Washington, canvas.uw.edu/courses/1457478/pages/lesson-5-video-lectures?module_item_id=13108125.
Egan, Michael, “The Neverland of Id: Barrie, Peter Pan, and Freud” in Children’s Literature. 10 (1982), 37-55
Dr. Hoffman, Ronald “The Origin of ‘Panic.’”, 3 Dec. 2015, drhoffman.com/article/the-origin-of-panic-3/.
Cartwright, Mark. “Pan.” World History Encyclopedia, World History Encyclopedia, 31 July 2021, www.worldhistory.org/Pan/.
Ridley, Rosalind (2016). Peter Pan and the Mind of J M Barrie. UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.