The Myth of Apollo and Daphne | Love in Greek Mythology

Love episodes between gods, demigods and humans are repeated in Greek mythology. In few cases do they have a happy ending and, especially from today’s perspective, many of them are incomprehensible to us. The Greek Gods forcibly take women and in many cases they are also punished, as is the case of the Myth of Medusa. In the Myth of Apollo and Daphne, divine revenge plays a main role and makes it a curious example of Love in Greek Mythology.. Therefore, today at we suggest you join us to learn what happened in the myth of Apollo and Dafne.

The Myth of Apollo and Daphne: Love in Greek Mythology

Apollo was the son of Zeus (here you can consult Who is Zeus and learn about the other Children of Zeus) and the titanic Leto, and he was also the twin of Artemis, the goddess of hunting. Apollo’s love affairs are notorious and include relationships with both women and men.. In fact, if you want to know his main lovers of both sexes, as well as the myths about these loves, you can read them here: The lovers of the god Apollo.

Regarding Daphne, you will be interested to know that her name, coming from the Greek «Δάφνη», which means «laurel», closely linked to the story told by the myth of Apollo and Daphne.

1. Who was Daphne

Daphne was a naiad; Naiads are nymphs that live in fountains, wells, springs, streams and in general in bodies of fresh water.. They are female beings that live many years, although they are not immortal. Their life force usually comes from the pond or river in which they live.

Our protagonist was the daughter of a river-god called Ladon and the nymph Creusa (some authors give her other parents, but her father is always a river). The myth goes that Ladon wanted her daughter to take her husband and give her grandchildren, but Daphne begged him not to force her to marry. The river-god agreed to her request and She was able to follow the example of the goddess Artemis and dedicate herself to hunting and the forests, remaining a virgin..

2. The myth of Apollo and Daphne

However, Apollo’s superb character changed the course of destiny. The god Apollo saw Eros shooting one of his arrows and insulted him, saying that his abilities were not comparable to those of a man and his arrows had no strength. Eros, offended, decided to demonstrate to Apollo the power of his love arrows and shot him with a golden arrow, making him immediately feel an irresistible love for Daphne. At the same time, Eros shot a lead arrow into Daphne’s heart, the effect of which was that she felt contempt and disdain for the god and that she fled without wanting anything to do with him.

Apollo pursued Daphne tirelessly. When he finally caught up with her, Daphne begged her father, the river god, to help her and he turned her into a laurel tree.. Ovid describes the moment like this: «A heavy numbness seized his limbs, a thin crust closed over his chest, his hair turned into leaves, his arms into branches, his feet, so quick a moment before, became caught in roots.» slow growing, his face melted into the cup. Only the brilliant beauty of her remained… ».

Seeing the transformation, Apollo hugged the laurel tree that he was becoming and at the end of the transformation he told her that since he would never be his partner, at least It would be his sacred tree and with the laurel he would crown the victors in his memory.. According to the myth, the laurel-Dafne shook the cup in a sign of consent.

3. Chastity versus lust

The myth of Apollo and Daphne has been presented throughout the centuries as an opposition between chastity and lust. Dafne represents the desire to remain a virgin even ignoring the wishes of her father, who wanted to have a son-in-law and grandchildren, in the face of Apollo’s unbridled desire, who ultimately does not achieve her goal. Dafne prefers to become a laurel tree rather than give in to her lover and thus achieves eternal chastity..

4. The laurel as a symbol of triumph

As we have said, Dafne means «laurel» and the naiad became this bush. It is an evergreen shrub with scented flowers of which there are around 90 species (if you want to discover more peculiar species, our article on Rare Trees of the World is not to be missed). It is through the myth of Apollo and Daphne that the laurel became one of the attributes of Apollo and the plant It was used both in the sacrifices dedicated to the god and in the victories in the games in his honor that were held in Delphi.. In these games, held every four years, the winners were given a laurel wreath as a prize.

Finally, it was throughout Greece where these laurel wreaths were used as awards for athletes, artists, poets or musicians.. The word «laureate» has survived to this day, which is applied to a person who «has received a decoration or prize for merit, generally artistic.»

In addition to the Myth of Apollo and Daphne, don’t miss…

If you liked knowing the myth of Apollo and Daphne and you want to continue delving deeper into the world of Greek mythology, then don’t miss our post on Short Greek Myths. Furthermore, we encourage you to take a look at this collection of Greek Mythology Phrases to learn their importance and, if you have more time, get one of these Greek Mythology Books. What are you waiting for? You’ll have a hard time deciding on one!

The myth of Apollo and Daphne has been repeatedly depicted throughout history and artwork generally focuses on the moment of Daphne’s transformation into a laurel bush. The best known of them is possibly Bernini’s sculpture titled «Apollo and Daphne». In it her hands and arms are taking the shape of branches and her feet are beginning to root themselves to the ground.

We finish here our approach to the Myth of Apollo and Daphne, so We would love for you to leave a comment with your contributions.. Did you know the myth of Apollo and Daphne? What do you think of the story it tells? Share your opinion with us! We will be happy to read you. 🙂