Lyre

Echo was brought up by the Nymphs, and the Muses taught her to play upon the pipe, the flute, the lyre, and the harp, in fact, to excel in every kind of music.

His golden lyre long-haired Iopas tunes, / and sings what Atlas taught in loftiest strain.

Take from my frozen hands thy hands of fire, And of my heart-strings make thee a new lyre, That in thy music men may find my voice, And something of me still on earth rejoice.

Orpheus was the son of Apollo and the Muse Calliope. He was presented by his father with a Lyre and taught to play upon it, which he did to such perfection that nothing could withstand the charm of his music.

The weapon, as soon as it came within the sound of his lyre, fell harmless at his feet. So did also the stones that they threw at him. But the women raised a scream and drowned the voice of the music, and then the missiles reached him and soon were stained with his blood.

The maniacs tore him limb from limb, and threw his head and his lyre into the river Hebrus, down which they floated, murmuring sad music, to which the shores responded a plaintive symphony.

His lyre was placed by Jupiter among the stars.

That Linus once reproached Hercules for not being studious; then, in a rage, the boy suddenly took up the lyre and struck with all his might the head of the unfortunate teacher, who, prostrated by the blow, soon after died. And no one after that wanted to take charge of such an office.

I play the lyre, the guitar, and the flute.

He went with nothing but his lyre, and his music was so sweet that Cerberus stood listening, and let him pass, and all the torments of the Danaids, Sisyphus and all the rest, ceased while he was playing.