Daphnis
Sign in to savethumb| Statue of Daphnis, 1st-2nd century CE, Parian marble In Greek mythology, Daphnis (; , from , daphne, "Bay Laurel") was a legendary Sicilian cowherd who was said to be the inventor of pastoral poetry. According to Diodorus the Sicilian (1st century BC), Daphnis was born in the Heraean Mountains of central Sicily.
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Mythology
- Daphnis (nymph)
- Cultural depictions
- Gallery
- See also
- Notes
- External links
thumb| Statue of Daphnis, 1st-2nd century CE, Parian marble In Greek mythology, Daphnis (; , from , daphne, "Bay Laurel") was a legendary Sicilian cowherd who was said to be the inventor of pastoral poetry. According to Diodorus the Sicilian (1st century BC), Daphnis was born in the Heraean Mountains of central Sicily.
== Mythology == According to tradition, his father was Hermes and his mother was a nymph, despite which Daphnis himself was mortal. As an infant, Daphnis' mother exposed him under a laurel tree, where he was found by some herdsmen who named him after the tree (Greek daphnē) under which he was found. The cows that tended to him as an infant were said to be sisters to the ones owned by Helios. He was also sometimes said to be Hermes' eromenos (beloved) rather than his son. In some versions, Daphnis was taught how to play the panpipes by the god Pan himself, and eventually the two also became lovers.