Narcissus was the son of the river god Cephissus (pronounced seh-FYE-suhs) and the nymph (female nature deity) Liriope (pronounced luh-RYE-uh-pee). He was a handsome Greek youth whose beauty ultimately led to his death. A prophet named Tiresias (pronounced ty-REE-see-
The Greek youth Narcissus was so handsome that many people fell in love with him, but he loved himself too much to love them back. According to one version of this myth, he became so obsessed with his own reflection in a pool of water that he fell in and drowned. THE BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY.
Uhs), who could see the plans of the gods, told Liriope that her son would enjoy a long life as long as he never knew himself or saw his reflection. Although Liriope did not understand the prediction at the time, its meaning eventually became clear.
Narcissus was so handsome that both women and men fell in love with him, but he rejected all of them. One of his admirers was the nymph Echo (pronounced EK-oh), who had been cursed by Hera (pronounced HAIR-uh) to repeat only the last words spoken to her. Ameinias (pronounced uh-MYE-nee-uhs), another admirer, was so devastated when Narcissus rejected him that he killed himself. Before doing so, however, Ameinias called on the gods to punish Narcissus. They caused the beautiful youth to gaze into a pond at his reflection. He fell in love with his own image and drowned trying to touch it. In other accounts of the story, Narcissus killed himself out of sorrow and frustration. The gods then changed him into the flower that bears his name.
World History
