[. . . .] It's said that before the Muses existed, these cicadas were human beings, but after the Muses were born and singing made its appearance, some people in those days were so overwhelmed by the pleasure of it that they were caught up in singing and forgot to eat or drink and died before they realized what was happening. The race of the cicadas then developed from them, and they received from the Muses this gift of not needing any food from their birth, so that they sing continuously without eating or drinking until they die[. . . .]

Plato, The Phaedrus