Pan

According to the “Mythography” at www.loggia.com:

“As the name of the god signifies all, Pan came to be considered a symbol of the universe and personification of Nature; and later still to be regarded as a representation of all the gods of paganism itself.”

The son of Hermes and Penelope, Pan was described by Homer as a “noisy, merry god.” Usually pictured as half-man and half-goat, Pan was the god of the wild places. Born and worshipped in Arcady, he was the patron of shepherds and goatherders, as well as beekeepers.

Although generally described as ugly, Pan frolicked with many woodland nymphs. When he persued one in particular—Syrinx—she prayed to the gods for rescue. When they turned her into reeds, Pan used them to make his famous shepherd’s pipe, on which he played beautiful music about unrequited love.

In fact, he was such a wonderful musician that Apollo challenged him to a contest. King Midas however, awarded the prize to Pan, after which Apollo cursed the king with donkey’s ears. Another of Pan’s misadventures has him mistakenly getting into bed with Hercules after the demigod switched clothes with Queen Omphale.

The word “panic” is derived from him because the sounds he made in the forest late at night tended to frighten travelers.