1. THE FLOWER MYTHS
Narcissus
Hyacinth
Adonis

2. NARCISSUS A handsome young man named Narcissus
He would ignore the advances of beautiful maidens
Even the fair nymph Echo, who was punished by Hera never to speak again but to repeat what was said to her, could not gain his love; hid herself into a cave out of shame; still lives in enclosed places; so weakened that only her voice remained
Narcissus was doomed to love himself after seeing his own reflection in water
He could never reach himself; died looking at himself; a flower bloomed at the side of the pool, Narcissus

3. HYACINTH Hyacinthus was the dearest companion of Apollo
During a discus-throwing contest Apollo accidentaly struck the boy in the forehead
The youth died immediately
Where his blood fell there bloomed a wondrous flower, to be called Hyacinth
Apollo’s sorrow was inscribed on the petals with the two letters of the Greek word for “Alas!”

4. ADONIS Even as a baby Adonis was loved by Aphrodite
Aphrodite took him to Persephone to take charge
Persephone loved him too, did not want to give him back; Zeus decided that he should spend autumn and winter with Persephone and the spring and summer with Aphrodite
They liked to play and chase each other in the woods
One day Adonis wounded a wild boar; boar killed him
Where his blood fell there bloomed the red anemone

5. LOVE STORIES Pyramus and Thisbe Orpheus and Eurydice
Pygmalion and Galatea
Daphne
Endymion

6. PYRAMUS & THISBE
Pyramus (young boy) and Thisbe (lovely maiden) lived in Babylon in two houses with a common wall
Lovers would talk through a hole in tha wall, yet no touch and kiss possible
Finally they decided to slip away to meet under the white mulberry tree
Thisbe went first, dropped her cloak while escaping from a lioness
Pyramus saw the bloodstained cloak and thought Thisbe was dead, stabbed himself; his blood dyed the mulberries into red
Thisbe came back, understood what happened and killed herself
Their love is commemorated in the red mulberry tree

7. ORPHEUS & EURYDICE Son of one of the Muses and a Thracian prince
Mother gave him the gift of music which fostered in Thrace
When he played rocks moved, animals followed
He married Eurydice, she died shortly after
Orpheus decided to go to Hades and bring her back
His song touched Hades’s heart and gave Eurydice back, but upon one condition: he would not look back to be sure that she followed
Just as he was out he turned back, Eurydice slipped back into darkness forever
Orpheus wandered aimlessly; was killed by bandits; where he is buried the nightingales sing sweetly

8. PYGMALION & GALATEA
Pygmalion, a young sculptor of Cyprus, hated women for their deficiencies, swore never to marry
Yet he made the statue of a perfect woman and fell deeply in love with what he made
He did everything to have a response from the statue, but the statue was a lifeless thing
Venus (Aphrodite) accepted his prayers and gave life to the statue, Pygmalion named her Galatea and married her

9. DAPHNE Daughter of the river-god Peneus
She was a beautiful girl who rejected all who wooed her, she liked hunting in the woods
Apollo saw her in the woods; fell in love and began to pursue her
While running in fear she saw her father’s river and asked for help
Suddenly she was changed into the laurel tree
Apollo made her his tree and her leaves the symbol of victory

10. ENDYMION He was a young and handsome shepherd
The Moon-goddess Selene loved him
Selene made him immortal and cast a magic on him so that he would sleep forever while she caressed and kissed him as she pleased