Daphne – Mythopedia Daphne was a virginal nymph, the daughter of a Greek river god In her most famous myth, she was desired by the Olympian god Apollo and was only able to escape his advances by transforming into a laurel tree
Daphnis – Mythopedia Daphnis, often said to have been a son of Hermes, was a handsome herdsman who lived in Sicily When he was blinded by a jealous nymph for his infidelity, he invented pastoral poetry to console himself
Nymphs – Mythopedia The nymphs were minor divinities who took the form of beautiful young women They represented diverse aspects of nature, including water, mountains, trees, and even specific locales They were also frequently divided into subgroups (such as Dryads, Naiads, and Nereids) according to the type of environment they inhabited
Hippolyta – Mythopedia Hippolyta was an Amazon queen and the owner of a famous mythical girdle She fought Heracles when the hero was sent to her kingdom to steal the girdle for his ninth labor
Dryads and Hamadryads – Mythopedia Dryads and Hamadryads were the most famous tree nymphs of ancient Greek mythology Hamadryads in particular were closely connected with the trees in which they lived, and even died when their tree died
Metamorphoses: Book 1 (Full Text) - Mythopedia The Transformation of Daphne into a Lawrel The first and fairest of his loves, was she Whom not blind fortune, but the dire decree Of angry Cupid forc’d him to desire: Daphne her name, and Peneus was her sire Swell’d with the pride, that new success attends, He sees the stripling, while his bow he bends, And thus insults him: Thou
Homeric Hymns: 3. To Apollo (Full Text) - Mythopedia TO DELIAN APOLLO (1–18) I will remember and not be unmindful of Apollo who shoots afar As he goes through the house of Zeus, the gods tremble before him and all spring up from their seats when he draws near, as he bends his bright bow But Leto alone stays by the side of Zeus who delights in thunder; and then she unstrings his bow, and closes his quiver, and takes his archery from his
Persephone – Mythopedia Persephone was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the wife of Hades, and the queen of the Underworld Her most important myth tells of how Hades abducted her, then tricked her into eating something in the Underworld so that she could never leave Not even her mother, Demeter, could bring her home
Ladon – Mythopedia Ladon was a formidable serpent or dragon, tasked with guarding the golden apples hidden in the Garden of the Hesperides When Heracles came to steal the apples for his eleventh labor, he first had to find a way around the imposing Ladon
Oreads – Mythopedia The Oreads were beautiful, youthful mountain nymphs These female divinities roamed the mountains and woodlands of Greece, accompanying other nature gods and presiding over various aspects of the natural world