In Greek mythology, Pan is the god of pastures, forests, and flocks. He is represented in art as having the head and the shoulders of an elderly man with the hind parts of a goat. Sometimes the horns and ears of a goat adorn his head. He was the god of the shepherd, but he developed into a hunter and a fisherman. The word panic, as applied to a flock of sheep, has reference to Pan. The sudden fear which sometimes overtakes an army was attributed by the ancients to Pan's influence. He was fond of music and was wont to dance with the forest nymphs. He is credited with the invention of the shepherd's flute, whence the expression Pan's Pipes. He taught Apollo to play on them.
