Source edition
Sophocles. Oxyrhynchus Papyri, Part 9. Grenfell, Bernard P. (Bernard Pyne); Hunt, Arthur S. (Arthur Surridge), editors. London: Egypt Exploration Fund, 1912.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is an ancient Greek satyr play revolving around the search for Apollo's stolen cattle. Lured by the promise of a vast reward and freedom, Silenus and the chorus of satyrs set out to track down the missing herd. During their search, they discover strange backward hoofprints and encounter a mysterious, frightening sound. After violently knocking on a cave to locate the source of the noise, they summon the nymph Cyllene, who reveals the birth of the wondrous child Hermes and his invention of the lyre from a tortoise shell. The satyrs quickly deduce that this clever inventor of the new instrument must be the very thief who stole Apollo's cattle, leading to a tense dispute with Cyllene. The surviving fragments of the play conclude with this confrontation, where the satyrs resolve to expose the young god.