Love Stories of Greek Myth
Naturally, love was one hot topic amongst the Greeks, and the proliferation of romantic themes—most of them tragic— is astounding. Of course, the Greeks honored love, but surprisingly, they did not particularly laud the goddess of love, Aphrodite. Her epithets—which are extremely indicative of how the Hellenes felt about this powerful emotion—include Androphonos [killer of men], Epitymbidia [she upon the graves], and Melaina [the blackened one].
Aphrodite really had no important festivals, and her favorite consort was Ares, god of war.
Love was extremely important—and hurtful, deadly, and destructive. However, love was vital to the scheme of existence, and the Greeks felt they had to pay homage to it...but not necessarily revere it.
I consider myself one of the most stoic, antagonistic, anti-"love" wenches on the face of this planet. However, requests for tales of love [and love lost] are among my most numerous, so I have decided to share a few of my favorites. Again, not all of the stories of amour were included, but rather a selected group that I feel are representative of Greek mythology. Heck, the myths involving Zeus alone would make War and Peace look like a friggin' abstract!
Acontius and Cydippe
Acontius was a young man from Chios who, at a festival at Delos, fell in love with the Athenian Cydippe. He threw a coin at her, and she picked it up and read, "I swear by the temple of Artemis that I shall marry Acontius..." By saying it aloud, she was obligated to marry him. This myth reiterates how tradition—and male aspirations—took precedence over female wishes, whatever they may or may not be.
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Alcyone and Ceyx
Alcyone was the daughter of Aeolus, king of the winds. Her marriage to Ceyx was bliss—too happy, in fact. The couple often referred to each other as "Zeus" and "Hera", which naturally infuriated the king and queen of the gods. Whilst at sea, Zeus hurled a thunderbolt at Ceyx's ship, drowning the man. He appeared before his wife as an apparition, telling her of his fate. Distraught, Alcyone threw herself into the sea in order to join him. The gods pitied the woeful couple and transformed them into kingfishers. This may be the origins of "halcyon days", seven days before and after the winter solstice when Aeolus demanded the calm of the seas in honor of the couple.
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Ariadne
Yet another instance of a male pig abadoning his faithful companion after she becomes of no use to him. Ariadne was the daughter of the the king of Crete, Minos. Minos had instigated from Athens a sacrifice of seven youths and seven maidens to feed the Minotaur, and the hero Theseus was to be one of the victims. However, Ariadne fell in love with him, and she assisted him by giving him a ball of gold thread to help him in the labyrinth where the creature dwelt. She accompanied him back on the voyage to Athens but he soon dumped her on the island of Dia, or Naxos. The god Dionysus found the wounded girl and made her his wife. He placed her wedding crown, the Corona Borealis, into the heavens as a symbol of their love.
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Orpheus and Eurydice
One of the most tragic love stories of Greek mythology. Orpheus was the son of the Muse Calliope and therefore a grand musician. His wife was a dryad, Eurydice, who also attracted the attentions of Aristaeus. Aristaeus pursued her until she stepped on a poisonous snake and was forced into the Underworld. Orpheus was determined to retrieve his beloved. He journeyed down to the underworld, first charming Charon, ferryman of the dead, and lulling to sleep Cerberus, the three-headed watchdog. He encountered Hades, who initially refused to release Eurydice, but Orpheus's music so touched Persephone that she pleaded Orpheus's case, and Hades relented. There was one condition: that Orpheus not look back on their way out. Of course, Orpheus was worried that Eurydice was not behind him, and he fatefully glanced back to see if she was following him. She disappeared back into Hades, and he lost her forever. Unable to live without her, Orpheus spent the rest of his days wandering in aimless sorrow before he was finally murdered by maenads, the drunken followers of Dionysus.
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Hero and Leander
This tale is based upon a later poem by Musaeus around the fourth century C.E.. Nonetheless, it follows the tragic theme of two doomed lovers. Hero was a Sestos priestess of Aphrodite, and Leander was a lad of Abydos. They were on opposite sides of the Hellespont, but the youths fell in love anyway. At nightfall, Hero would hang a torch so Leander could swim across to her, using the light to guide him. One stormy night, the wind blew the light out; Leander lost his way and drowned. Upon learning of her lover's death, Hero also drowned herself in order to be with him. The story is a favorite among Renassaince artists; Rub