, a 1625 sculpture by
Bernini, inspired by Ovid's
Metamorphoses, depicting the initial stage of Daphne's transformation The earliest source of the myth of Daphne and Apollo is
Phylarchus, quoted by
Parthenius of Nicaea. Later, the Roman poet
Ovid does a retelling of this Greek legend, which appears in his work
Metamorphoses.
Ovid The pursuit of a local nymph by an
Olympian god, part of the archaic adjustment of religious cult in Greece, was given an arch anecdotal turn in the
Metamorphoses by the Roman poet
Ovid (died AD 17). According to this version Apollo's infatuation was caused by a golden-tipped arrow shot at him by
Cupid, son of
Venus, who wanted to punish Apollo for having insulted his archery skills by commenting "What hast thou to do with the arms of men, thou wanton boy?", and to demonstrate the power of love's arrow. Eros also shot Daphne, but with a leaden-tipped arrow, the effect of which was to make her flee from Apollo. Elated with sudden love, Apollo chased Daphne continually. He tried to make her cease her flight by saying he did not wish to hurt her. When she kept fleeing, Apollo lamented that even though he had the knowledge of medicinal herbs, he had failed to cure himself from the wound of Cupid's arrow. When Apollo finally caught up with her, Daphne prayed for help to her father, the river god
Peneus of
Thessaly, who immediately commenced her transformation into a laurel tree (
Laurus nobilis): a heavy numbness seized her limbs, thin bark closed over her breast, her hair turned into leaves, her arms into branches, her feet so swift a moment ago stuck fast in slow-growing roots, her face was lost in the canopy. Only her shining beauty was left. Even this did not quench Apollo's ardour, and as he embraced the tree, he felt her heart still beating. He then declared: "My bride," he said, "since you can never be, at least, sweet laurel, you shall be my tree. My lure, my locks, my quiver you shall wreathe." Upon hearing his words, Daphne bends her branches, unable to stop it.
Parthenius A version of the attempt on Daphne's sworn virginity that has been less familiar since the
Renaissance was narrated by the
Hellenistic poet
Parthenius, in his
Erotica Pathemata, "The Sorrows of Love", which he attributes to Hellenistic historian
Phylarchus. In this, which is the earliest written account, Daphne is a mortal girl, daughter of
Amyclas, fond of hunting and determined to remain a virgin; she is pursued by the boy
Leucippus ("white stallion"), who disguises himself in a girl's outfit in order to join her band of huntresses. He is also successful in gaining her innocent affection. This makes Apollo angry and he puts it into the girl's mind to stop to bathe in the river Ladon; there, as all strip naked, the ruse is revealed, as in the myth of
Callisto, and the affronted huntresses plunge their spears into Leucippus. At this moment Apollo's attention becomes engaged, and he begins his own pursuit. Daphne, fleeing to escape Apollo's advances, prays to Zeus to help. Zeus turns her into laurel tree. Parthenius' modern editor remarks on the rather awkward transition, linking two narratives.
Pausanias Parthenius' tale was known to
Pausanias, who recounted it in his
Description of Greece (2nd century AD). According to him, Leucippus was a son of the prince of
Pisa, whose attempts to woo her by open courtship all failed, as Daphne avoided all males. Leucippus then thought of the following trick; he grew his hair and wore women's clothes, and this way managed to get close to Daphne, to whom he introduced himself as a daughter of the prince. As he was the highest-ranking and best huntsman of Daphne's company, he became good friends with her.
Apollo, himself in love with Daphne too, was jealous of Leucippus' success in love, however Leucippus' ruse was soon discovered when the girls took a bath in a lake; they stripped a reluctant Leucippus naked, and upon discovering his true sex, killed him with javelins and daggers.
Hyginus When
Apollo pursued the virgin Daphne, who in
Hyginus' version is a daughter of the
river god Peneus, it was the earth
goddess Gaia to whom she begged for protection. Gaia then received her, changing her into a laurel tree, while Apollo created a wreath with one of its branches.
Other authors Philostratus in his
Life of Apollonius of Tyana says the
Assyrians, who worshipped
Apollo Daphnaeus ("Apollo of the Laurel") place the site of Daphne's transformation from
Arcadia to
Antioch (modern day
Antakya in Turkey).
Nonnus also placed Daphne's dwellings near the
Orontes River, and says that it was
Gaia who swallowed up the girl before she knew marriage; Apollo always blamed Gaia for this. In his
Dialogues of the Gods, satirical author
Lucian of
Samosata has Apollo call Daphne and
Hyacinthus his two greatest loves, and regret losing them both; he declares himself unlucky in love, especially since Daphne found the option of becoming a tree more attractive than him.
Eros also mentions to
Zeus Daphne not falling for Apollo. A sixth century AD poet,
Dioscorus of Aphrodito, composed a poem where Apollo calls Daphne and Hyacinthus his two greatest loves, and mourns their loss. == Laurel varieties ==