ABSTRACT
A musician of whom several incompatible stories are told, perhaps indicating the diverse origins of the myths invented to interpret the harvest song ailinon (usually considered to be a lament for the death of the year and perhaps derived from the Phoenician ai lanu, ‘alas for us!’) as ai Linon, ‘alas for Linos’. An Argive story asserts that Linus was the son of Psamathe, a princess of Argos and the daughter of King Crotopus. The child’s father was Apollo. When he was born his mother abandoned him, and he was eaten by Crotopus’ dogs. (In another version he was rescued and brought up by shepherds.) Then Apollo brought a plague upon Argos, until Crotopus discovered its cause and propitiated the god by instituting this dirge, to be sung annually in memory of the child. Some said that Crotopus killed Psamathe because she told him of the birth giving of her son. It was also recounted that the plague sent by Apollo wiped out all the children in Argos.
