Syrinx

Theocritus. Bucolici Graeci. Gow, A. S. F., editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1952 (printing).

Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0

Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.

This work is a Hellenistic pattern poem (technopaegnium) themed around the "Syrinx" (panpipes) dedicated to the pastoral god Pan. Its most distinctive feature is its visual form, where the decreasing length of the verses mimics the physical shape of the musical instrument. In terms of content, the poem sings of the origins of the panpipes and the complex mythological background surrounding Pan, woven with obscure riddles and euphemistic wordplay. The poet cryptically describes the secret of Pan's birth and his relationship with the nymph Syrinx, who transformed into a reed. Through this fusion of verbal ingenuity and visual artistry, the entire poem ultimately serves as a unique votive offering to the pastoral deity.