The Great God Pan: Lord of the Wild - Ronald Hutton

Professor Hutton’s lecture is a masterful synthesis of historical, literary, and archaeological evidence, presented with his characteristic wit and erudition. The talk is meticulously researched, drawing on a wide range of ancient sources, including Homeric hymns, the plays of Sophocles and Menander, the poetry of Theocritus, and the novels of Longus and Apuleius. Hutton also engages with modern scholarship, referencing works by Walter Burkert, Fritz Graf, and H.J. Rose, among others. His argument that Pan’s significance in antiquity was relatively minor, and that his modern prominence is a cultural construction, is well-supported and persuasively argued. The lecture is particularly strong in its contextualization of Pan within the social and geographical realities of ancient Greece, such as the marginalization of Arcadia and the role of shepherds in the economy. Hutton’s discussion of the etymology of Pan’s name and the pun on ‘all’ is insightful, as is his analysis of the god’s association with panic and the natural world. The lecture also benefits from Hutton’s ability to connect ancient material to broader cultural trends, such as the Romantic fascination with nature and the modern pagan revival. One minor criticism is that the lecture, while comprehensive, occasionally glosses over certain complexities, such as the regional variations in Pan’s cult. Additionally, Hutton’s interpretation of some myths, such as the story of Pan and Syrinx, is presented with a confidence that might underplay the ambiguity of the sources. Nevertheless, the lecture is a valuable contribution to the study of ancient religion and its reception, and it is delivered with clarity and charisma. The audience’s positive reception, as evidenced by the comments, reflects the lecture’s success in engaging both specialists and the general public. Overall, this is an excellent example of public scholarship that is both rigorous and accessible.

The title accurately reflects the content, which explores the evolution of Pan from a minor Arcadian deity to a major cultural icon.

9/10

Lecture by a distinguished historian (Professor Ronald Hutton, Fellow of the British Academy) based on extensive scholarly research, with references to ancient sources and modern academic works. The content is well-structured and nuanced, though it represents the speaker's interpretation of historical evidence.

• 00:00// Pan: A Modern Pagan Icon, Ancient Minor God
• 02:55// Arcadia and the Hillbilly Origins of Pan
• 06:38// From Arcadian Pastures to Athenian Patron: Pan at Marathon
• 09:29// Pan as God of Wild Nature, Nymphs, and Caves
• 13:39// Early Hymns and Birth Myths of Pan
• 16:49// How Art Turned Pan into the Goat-Legged Satyr
• 18:27// Worshipping Pan: Cults, Temples, and Goat Sacrifice
• 20:49// Pan, Faunus, and the Roman Fauns
• 22:33// Ovid’s Pan: Syrinx, Panpipes, and Music Contest with Apollo
• 27:01// Satire, Egypt, and Capricorn: Reinventing Pan in Late Antiquity
• 29:28// Daphnis and Chloe: Rustic Romance and Pan’s Saving ‘Panic’
• 32:51// Love, Jealous Gods, and the Myths of Pitys and Echo
• 35:21// Apuleius’ Pan and Psyche: From Monster to Gentle Counsellor
• 38:05// “Great Pan Is Dead”: Plutarch’s Story and its Hidden Puns
• 43:25// Final Reflections: From Minor Deity to Modern Cultural Icon

• Gresham College — Official website of Gresham College, the institution hosting the lecture.
• Gresham College Support — Page for supporting Gresham College's educational activities.
• The Great God Pan: Lord of the Wild - Lecture Page — Dedicated page for this lecture on the Gresham College website.
• Q&A Session — Link to the question and answer session following the lecture.

• Walter Burkert, Greek Religion — Hutton references Burkert's work, which gives Pan only six sentences, supporting his argument about Pan's minor status.
• Fritz Graf, Greek Mythology — Hutton mentions Graf's book, which omits Pan entirely, further illustrating his relative unimportance.
• H.J. Rose, Handbook of Greek Mythology — Hutton cites Rose's handbook, which places Pan in a chapter on 'lesser and foreign deities'.

• Patricia Merivale, Pan the Goat-God: His Myth in Modern Times