THE FLOWER MYTHS Narcissus Hyacinth Adonis

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

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!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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