Page "Marsyas" Paragraph 9

There are several versions of the contest ; according to Hyginus, Marsyas was departing as victor after the first round, when Apollo, turning his lyre upside down, played the same tune.

This was something that Marsyas could not do with his flute.

According to another version Marsyas was defeated when Apollo added his voice to the sound of the lyre.

Marsyas protested, arguing that the skill with the instrument was to be compared, not the voice.

However, Apollo replied that when Marsyas blew into the pipes, he was doing almost the same thing himself.

The Muses supported Apollo's claim, leading to his victory.