Cyparissus
By Jimmy Joe
Here is another tale of a god loving a mortal youth that went tragically wrong. Apollo was known to love several young men, most notably Hyacinthus, but here you will find a very short tale of Cyparissus (Κυπάρισσος).
Cyparissus was a boy in living on the island of Ceo. He had a stag for a pet. Cyparissus loved this stag so much that he became inconsolable when he accidentally killed it with his javelin.
Painting from the House of
the Vettii, Pompeii. 62-79 AD
Apollo tried everything to comfort Cyparissus, but to no avail. Apollo granted the boy’s wish: to mourn for his favourite stag, forever. Apollo transformed Cyparissus into a cypress tree.
Related Information
Name
Cyparissus, Κυπάρισσος - "Cypress tree".
Sources
Metamorphoses was written by Ovid.
