Judgment of Midas. Apollo and Pan held a fluteplaying contest, judged by the mountain-god Tmolus, to determine who was the more accomplished musician. After Tmolus pronounced Apollo the winner, Midas interceded, declaring the decision unjust. Furious, Apollo changed the king’s ears into those of an ass. By wearing a large headdress, Midas was able to hide his ears from everyone except his barber who, unable to contain the secret, whispered the story into a hole in the ground. Reeds grew over the spot and whispered the news every time the wind blew through them.
     A popular subject in postclassical art, the contest of Apollo and Pan (often depicted with Midas as judge) has frequently been confused or conflated with the musical contest of Apollo and the satyr Marsyas.