The most famous of the satyrs was Pan, the ugly "lesser" god who played the reed "Pan" pipes, and who struck fear into the hearts of woodland nymphs and other young women. To him we owe the word panic, from the Greek panikos. In Roman mythology, Pan was Faunus (Faun), from which the English word fauna, but in Sicily Greek language, culture and mythological tradition predominated well into the region's Roman period.

The dancing bronze satyr of Mazara del Vallo, in western Sicily, seems only slightly less lecherous than Pan. In antiquity, he might have attracted less attention, but because many of Sicily's archeological treasures have been carried away to foreign museums, never to return, the dancing satyr, like the recently unearthed classical heads, is an exceptional find. This satyr is similar in style to those depicted on Greek vases. Though always rejected by the beautiful nymphs, Pan was said to have danced with them in the forests and mountains. In this way, the concept of a dancing satyr is not at all unorthodox.

Measuring 2.5 metres in height, the satyr is cast in a bronze alloy typical of Roman period castings yet rendered in the Hellenistic style. It was probably part of a group created as early as 300 BC (BCE). The statue was discovered on the floor of the Sicilian Channel under 500 metres of water in 1998. It has found a home in its own museum, the Museo del Satiro, in Piazza Plebiscito in Mazara del Vallo's former Sant'Egidio Church.

About the Author: Antonella Gallo, who teaches art in Rome, has written numerous articles on arts and artists for Best of Sicily.