STORIES OF LOVE

IN
GREEK MYTHOLOGY
ECHO and NARCISSUS
Zeus, known as the great womaniser,
wanted to stray on Earth but because of Hera,
he cannot. One day, Echo a beautiful yet
talkative wood nymph, chattered with Hera
Zeus had the chance to get away.
Believing that Zeus and Echo had a
conspiracy, Hera maddens and punished
Echo. She made certain that Echo would
never speak her own words again, and could
only repeat the words of others.
One day, while hiding among the trees,
Echo saw a handsome huntsman named
Narcissus, fell in love with him instantly.
She followed him everywhere but couldnt
speak to him.
Narcissus, who had no interest in
love, only found the nymph annoying. He
shouted at Echo, but only gets repetition of
what he said. Echos heart breaks, unable to
say what she felt. Echo grew so melancholy
that she faded away into the hills, until all
that was left was her voice.
But Narcissus was not finished.
There was this handsome man named

Ameinius and was one of Narcissus avid

admirers. Trying to get Narcissus attention,
the heartless man sent his suitor a sword,
telling him to prove his adoration.
Not knowing how else to prove his
adoration, Ameinius proceeded to plunge the
sword into his heart, committing suicide to
demonstrate his love. As he lay dying, he
asked the gods to punish Narcissus.
Artemis heard the dying plea of
Ameinius and take revenge. She caused
Narcissus to fall in love, but the kind of love
that could never be fulfilled and that is to
fall in love with his reflection.
He sat at the woodland stream and
still gazing at the beauty reflected in the
water. The spell of Artemis had totally
mesmerized him, and he sprawled there for
hours until he recognised himself.
By the sudden realization that he could
never possess the love of his reflection
Narcissus became sullen the same way all
of his suitors felt. Unable at last to stand the
agony Narcissus plunged a dagger in his
heart and died.

PYGMALION and GALATEA

On the island of Cyprus, there is a handsome and talented man named Pygmalion. He is a
sculptor and loves to carve things from ivories.
One day he chose a large, beautiful piece of ivory, and worked for it for several hours at it
until he finished. There, he crafted a statue of a beautiful lady, so exquisitely carved that she
seemed almost alive.

He fell in love with his creation, that he clothed and gave it jewels, and he named it Galatea.
The more he gazed upon Galatea, the more he wished that he had a wife just like her. The statue
was so gorgeous and perfect that he dreamed that she is alive.
During a big festival to honour Aphrodite, Pygmalion went to the temple of Aphrodite to
pray for a wife just like the statue in his home. His prayers were so true and he is so passionate
that the great goddess took notice.
Wanting to see the sculpture, she visited Pymalions home and was delighted to see the
ivory Galatea. She couldn't help but think that the statue looked much like her it was so perfect.
Pleased and flattered she immediately brought the statue to life. When the sculptor returned
home, he kissed Galatea as it was his ritual and to his surprise, the goddess answered his
prayers.
Galatea told Pygmalion that it was his deep love for her that had convinced Aphrodite to
bring her to life. Together they prayed and gave thanks to the goddess.
The two got married and invited Aphrodite as their guest of honour. Pygmalion never forgot
to thank Aphrodite. He and Galatea brought gifts to her altar and sang her praises as long as they
lived.

ORPHEUS and EURYDICE

Orpheus is a mortal given the gift of music and was nurtured in the land of Thrace where
he grew up. His music was enchanting that no one and nothing could resist him. He had the
ability to control both animate and inanimate objects and taming wild beasts. He helped the
heroes during the Quest for the Golden Fleece by playing his lyre and give relaxing tune.
No maiden Orpheus desired could have resisted the power of his music. He chose a
beautiful woman named Eurydice
During their wedding, Hymen the god of marriage attended and blessed the couple.
When Hymens torch spluttered and died, and the smoke brought tears to the couples eyes, they
were too happy to take notice of this sad omen.
Their happiness remained complete until the day Eurydice was bitten by a snake and died.
Orpheus grief was so unbearable that he followed his wife down to the Underworld, determined
to get her back.
No mortal had ever gone down to the Underworld and lived, but Orpheus did not care. He
played his lyre and sang of his sorrow; begging the gods to let him have his beloved wife. Hades
refused, but Persephone was moved by Orpheus music.
A condition was settled Eurydice may follow Orpheus but the man must not look back
until they are safely back in the world above. Orpheus agreed, but as he journeyed back through
the hushed darkness, he began to wonder if his wife was really behind him. His doubts turned to
fear, then to panic, and he quickly turned only to glimpse Eurydices sorrowful face and her
outstretched hand as she faded back into the blackness. Orpheus had lost her forever.
Orpheus lived the rest of his life in solitary sadness, his lyre still and silent with grief.

EROS and PSYCHE

There was once a girl named Psyche who was so beautiful that she made Aphrodite
jealous. As a punishment, Aphrodite told Eros to shoot one of his arrows into Psyches heart and
make the girl fall in love with a mean and ugly man.
But Eros fell in love with the girl himself. While she slept, he took her away to be his
bride.
Psyche now had a beautiful home and everything she could wish for but she did not
know who her husband was. Eros never let Psyche see him he came to her only at night, under
the cover of darkness.
One night, Psyches curiosity got the better of her. She held a candle above her sleeping
husband, and saw that, far from being a monster, he was the handsome god of love. But some
wax, dripping onto Eros shoulder, woke him, and he fled.
Psyche searched everywhere for her lost love. She begged Aphrodite for help. The
goddess set her three tasks, the last of which was to fetch a box from Persephone, queen of the
Underworld.
Psyche succeeded in her tasks, but when she got the box, she opened it. Inside was the
sleep of death, and as soon as she breathed its scent, she fell down lifeless.
But Zeus, seeing all that she had gone through for love, took pity on her and had her
brought to Mount Olympus, where she and her true love could be together forever.

PYRAMUS and THISBE

Pyramus and Thisbe lived in Babylonia. They were neighbours and played together every
day when they were children. They fell in love with each other as they grew older.
Although they were neighbours, their families were unfriendly to one another so their
relationship remained secret. They had a special meeting place at a wall between their houses.
This particular wall bore a scar a large crack marred its smooth surface as a result of an
earthquake long ago. Pyramus and Thisbe communicated through this crack when it was risky to
see one another.
One particularly magnificent day, they arrived at their usual meeting place. The beauty of
the day made them lament their situation all the more. They cried as they watched two
hummingbirds fly over the wall together. Suddenly they decided that they would not be stopped
from being together any longer. They decided to meet that night outside the city gates under a
mulberry tree filled white fruit. This particular tree grew near a stream next to the local cemetery.
Thisbe, hidden by a veil, arrived at the appointed spot first and waited patiently for
Pyramus to come. All of a sudden, a lioness fresh from a kill, her jaws covered in blood, slunk
out of the brush to satisfy her thirst at the stream. Thisbe, frightened by this disturbance, ran to a
nearby cave. In her haste, she dropped her veil and the lioness grabbed it and shredded it with her
bloody jaws.
Meanwhile, Pyramus had arrived at the meeting place. As he approached the tree he
could not help but notice the large paw prints of the lioness. His heart beat faster. As he
approached the stream, his fears were confirmed upon seeing Thisbes veil torn and bloodstained.
Unable to find Thisbe and fearing that she was dead, Pyramus was unable to contain his sorrow.
He drew his sword and plunged it deeply into his side. As he removed the sword from his side,
blood sprayed the white fruit on the tree, turning it a dark purple colour.
When Thisbe came back to the meeting place by the stream, she saw Pyramus body
lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Racked with uncontrollable agony, she took his sword
and threw her body onto it. With her dying breath, she pleaded with the gods that their bodies be
buried in a single tomb and that the tree in the special meeting place would always bear fruit in
the colour of a dark and mournful colour in memory of their unrequited love.

PARIS and OENONE

Oenone was the first wife of Prince Paris of Troy. She was a mountain nymph of Mt. Ida.
One day, while Paris taking out his herd, Oenone took notice of the handsome man. She asked if
she can join Paris next time, and the man agreed.
They fell in love, got married, and had a son named Corythus.
When Hermes brings the three goddesses of Mt. Olympus Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena to
judge for ownership of the golden apple, he chose Aphrodite, influenced by the bribe of giving
the love of the most beautiful woman Helen, Queen of Sparta.
Paris later abandoned Oenone to return to Troy and to sail across the sea to abduct Helen.
Oenone predicted the Trojan war, and out of revenge, she sent their son (Corythus) to drive a rift
between Paris and Helen, but Paris killed him, not recognising his own son.
When the Troy fell on the hands of the Greeks, he returned to Oenone. He is mortally wounded
by Philoctetes, and asked Oenone to heal him.
But Oenone, felt betrayed, refused. She cast him out with scorn and return to Helens bed.
Paris died on the lower slopes of Mt. Ida. As to Oenone, wants to overcome her remorse, killed
herself.

REFERENCES
Timeless Myths Lovers Tales. Retrieved
http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/lovers.html

3/1/2015

1:11:53

PM

Randall, R (2001). The Childrens Book of Myths and Legends. Armadillo Books, Ltd.
Hamilton, E (1942). Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes.

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