Mythical Thracian poet and musician, son of Apollo and Chione the daughter of Daedalion (or Philonis, or Leuconoe). Chione was very beautiful and was loved by both Apollo and Hermes. She lay with both on the same day, and the result was twin boys, Philammon being the son of Apollo and Autolycus the son of Hermes. Philammon inherited his father’s gift of music and distinguished himself in that field. He was considered the originator of lyric hymns in honor of Leto, Apollo and Artemis, which were performed by a choir of young girls at Delphi, while according to Pausanias (10.7.2) he came second when Chrysothemes won the music contest at the Pythian Games. He is often cited as one of the Argonauts.Philammon is also known as the father of Thamyris, a famous poet, singer and musician to whom the ancient Greeks ascribed many poems as well as innovations in the art of music. Philammon’s wife and Thamyris’ mother was Argiope, a nymph of Parnassus, who fled to Thrace when Philammon refused to acknowledge her. Philammon is also said to have been a half-brother (by a different father) of Eumolpus.
