by Imonikhe Ahimie

Created on: June 14, 2010   Last Updated: June 15, 2010

The gods of ancient Greece were an extremely lusty lot, and the record is replete with the details of their various love affairs, with immortals as well as mere mortals. Phoebus Apollo, son of Zeus, the all-father and king of gods and men, and the Lady Leto, was cast very much in the same mold as were his fellow gods and information has come down to us regarding a multiplicity of his affairs with mortals. In most of these affairs, the mortals involved met with an unhappy end, but then, that is the way it has always been in the relations between men and gods.

One of earliest that we hear regarding a connection between Apollo and a mortal was in the matter of the unhappy affair of Daphne. Daphne was born and lived out her life at Tempe, beneath the heights of Olympus, home of the immortal gods, alongside the path taken by the River Peneios as it flows towards the sea. Daphne was an extremely beautiful young lady, but although she had suitors aplenty, she had absolutely no interest in men. From her childhood, she had been more interested in living a free and unencumbered life roaming her beloved hills and dales and as she grew into womanhood, she was openly scornful of the very idea of subjecting herself to the control of any man; the first feminist, perhaps.

However, one bright sunny morning as she stood on the slopes of Mount Ossa she saw a tall, well made-out man approaching her. As the early morning sun fell on his face, she saw that he was endowed with a beauty that is not given to the sons of men, and by the golden bow and quiver of arrows, as well as the golden harp that he carried, she knew that it was Phoebus Apollo, and none other. Hurrying up to her, the god declared his love for her and his intention to make her his. But Daphne was a bold maid and she had a strong heart. Disdaining his godship, she boldly declared that she had no intention of ever yielding up her freedom. Then Apollo was vexed, and as the maiden fled, he set out in chase.

There was, of course, no way that Daphne could ever have outrun the god and as Apollo drew nearer and nearer still, she cried out for help to the Lady Demeter  but that goddess did not answer. So, determined to keep her freedom always, she cried out to the deity for whom the fast flowing river was named to protect her and, leaping into the fast flowing stream, Daphne was gone. Now, Apollo regretted the madness that had induced him to chase the maiden, who was now lost to him for all time. So the god spoke the word

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Next Page >>