Flower Myths: The Creation of Daphne

In Greece, there are the loveliest of wildflowers. They would be beautiful anywhere, but Greece is not a rich and fertile country of wide meadows and fruitful fields where flowers seem at home.

Apollo believed that Eros was overshadowing his achievements by becoming famous as a skilled archer. After defeating the Python, Apollo thought that he alone deserved the honor of wielding a bow and quiver.

In the story, Apollo becomes deeply infatuated with Daphne, a woman who has vowed to remain a virgin. Despite his pursuit, Daphne rejects Apollo’s advances. Just as he is about to catch her, she transforms into a laurel tree.

The story of Apollo and Daphne took place right after Apollo killed the Python, the great snake that terrorized mankind. Apollo pierced the Python with 1,000 arrows and founded the sacred Pythian Games named after the serpent.

Following his victory over such a formidable enemy, Apollo became filled with arrogance. When he encountered Eros, the god of love and also a renowned archer, Apollo began to mock him.

“Impudent boy, what are you doing with a man’s weapons?”

Apollo believed that Eros was stealing his achievements by becoming famous as a skilled archer. After defeating the Python, Apollo thought that he alone deserved the honor of wielding a bow and quiver:

“I can hit wild beasts of a certainty, and wound my enemies, and not long ago destroyed with countless arrows the swollen Python that covered many acres with its plague-ridden belly. You should be intent on stirring the concealed fires of love with your burning brand, not laying claim to my glories!”

“You may hit every other thing Phoebus (Apollo), but my bow will strike you: to the degree that all living creatures are less than gods, by that degree is your glory less than mine.”

What Eros did next caught Apollo completely off guard. The god of love fluttered his wings and flew up to Apollo, then shot him in the chest with a “golden arrow with a sharp, glistening point.” Though the arrow didn’t cause Apollo physical harm, the real wound was emotional—something Apollo would soon come to understand.

With a second arrow, “a blunt one with lead beneath its shaft”, Eros struck Daphne, a nymph who was also a virgin huntress devoted to the goddess Artemis. Daphne was stunningly beautiful, and many suitors sought her hand, but she was committed to hunting and upholding the vows of chastity and virginity required by Artemis. Daphne’s father, the river god Peneus, disapproved of her lifestyle and urged her to marry and give him grandchildren.

Eros’s arrows had unique powers. The arrow that struck Apollo was one of love and intense desire. As soon as it hit him, Apollo saw Daphne hunting in the wild and, overwhelmed by passion, pursued her. Meanwhile, the arrow that struck Daphne filled her heart with revulsion for the god who was now in front of her.

Eros's revenge was cruel. Apollo was hopelessly in love with a woman who despised him with every fiber of her being.

Apollo’s love for Daphne was so intense that, despite being the god of prophecy, he couldn’t foresee his fate. His emotions overwhelmed him as he approached the nymph, seeing her as even more beautiful and virtuous than she truly was. He showered her with endless praise, but Daphne couldn’t bear to be near him. Before Apollo could receive any response, Daphne had already fled.

Apollo begged Daphne to stop. He tried to assure her that he meant no harm and that his intentions were sincere. The chase continued, with Apollo growing increasingly anxious. He feared that Daphne might fall and get injured. In a desperate bid to make her halt, he began telling her about his identity, emphasizing that as the god of beauty, prophecy, medicine, and music, no woman could possibly resist him.

After that, Apollo focused on catching Daphne, running after her persistently. The nymph could see that capture was imminent, as Apollo almost seized her several times but she narrowly escaped each time. However, it was evident that Daphne would eventually be caught. As time went on, Daphne got tired, and finally, Apollo managed to catch her.

At that moment, Daphne saw the waters of her father’s river and cried out for help.

“Help me father! If your streams have divine powers change me, destroy this beauty that pleases too well!”

Peneus came to his daughter’s help as she was held tightly by Apollo. Daphne began to transform into a tree, with her hair turning into leaves, her arms into branches, and her legs into roots. Before Apollo could see her face, she had vanished. In her place stood a lovely laurel tree.

Despite Daphne’s transformation, Apollo’s love remained unchanged. He took the tree’s leaves in his hands and kissed the wood of the tree. From that time on, the laurel became Apollo’s sacred tree. At Daphne, the oracle would chew laurel leaves before conveying divine wisdom as prophecies.

Additionally, the winner of the Pythian Games, the second most significant game in ancient times after the Olympics, was awarded a laurel crown.

The myth of Apollo and Daphne illustrates the consequences of unrequited desire. It tells of the powerful influence of love, particularly the might of Eros, who can affect even the most powerful gods.