THAMYRIS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Thamyris was a legendary musician spoken of in Greek mythology, skilled in song and the playing of the lyre.
Thamyris Son of Philammon
Thamyris was the son of a legendary musician, Philammon, and thus Thamyris was a grandson of Apollo.
The Naiad nymph Argiope had been taken by the beauty of Philammon, and sought to seduce the mortal musician; subsequently Argiope had fallen pregnant, but Philammon shunned the nymph. Argiope thus left her home and travelled to Thrace and the land of the Ordysians.
There, Argiope gave birth to Thamyris, and thus the son of Philammon grew up as a Thracian.
The Naiad nymph Argiope had been taken by the beauty of Philammon, and sought to seduce the mortal musician; subsequently Argiope had fallen pregnant, but Philammon shunned the nymph. Argiope thus left her home and travelled to Thrace and the land of the Ordysians.
There, Argiope gave birth to Thamyris, and thus the son of Philammon grew up as a Thracian.
Thamyris and the Muses
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Having inherited his father’s musical skill, it was said that Thamyris became the third winner of the musical contest at the Pythian Games; where Thamyris performed a hymn to the god Apollo.
Thamyris was well aware of his own abilities, and this made him boastful, and rashly Thamyris proclaimed himself superior in musical skills to even the Muses, the goddess of music, song and dance. A contest was thus arranged between the Muses and Thamyris; Homer, in the Catalogue of Ships, places this contest as having taken place at Dorium a town of ancient Messinia. Later sources would state that Thamyris demanded that he would be allowed to enjoy the company of each of the Muses in turn; whilst he offered the opportunity for the goddess to do what they wished to him if he lost. Contests between mortals and immortals generally never ended well for mortals, and the contest between Thamyris and the Muses was exception. Thamyris of course lost and the Muses gouged out his eyes, and took away all of his musical abilities. Some sources then tell of eternal punishment for Thamyris in Tartarus. |
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Thamyris and Hyacinth
Some sources tell of how it was Apollo who told the Muses about the boastful claim of Thamyris, for Apollo perceived Thamyris to be a love rival for the god when it came to Hyacinth. Indeed it was said that Thamyris was the first man to fall in love with other males; and thus Apollo had a reason to get rid of Thamyris, his own grandson.
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Colin Quartermain - Thamyris - 27th October 2019