The story of apollo and daphne. Apollo and Daphne: myth and its reflection in art

At that very wonderful moment when, proud of his victory, Apollo stood over the monster Python he had slain, he suddenly saw not far from him a young mischief-maker, the god of love, Eros. The prankster laughed merrily and also drew his golden bow. The mighty Apollo chuckled and said to the kid:

- What do you need such a formidable weapon for, child? Let's do this: each of us will do our own thing. You go play, and leave me to send golden arrows. These are the ones I just slain this evil monster. How can you be equal to me, arrowhead?
Offended Eros decided to punish the arrogant god. He narrowed his eyes slyly and replied to the proud Apollo:
“Yes, I know, Apollo, that your arrows don't miss. But even you cannot escape my arrow.
Eros flapped his golden wings and in the blink of an eye flew up to high Parnassus. There he drew from his quiver two golden arrows. One arrow that hurts the heart and evokes love, he sent to Apollo. And with another arrow, rejecting love, he pierced the heart of Daphne - a young nymph, daughter of the river god Peneus. The little rascal did his evil deed and, fluttering his delicate wings, flew on. Time passed. Apollo had already forgotten about his meeting with the prankster Eros. He already had a lot to do. And Daphne continued to live as if nothing had happened. She still ran with her nymph friends through the flowering meadows, played, had fun and did not know any worries. Many young gods sought the love of the golden-haired nymph, but she refused everyone. She did not even let any of them come close to her. Her father, old Peny, was already saying to his daughter more and more often:
- When will you bring your son-in-law to me, my daughter? When will you give me grandchildren?
But Daphne only laughed merrily and answered her father:
“You don’t have to keep me in bondage, my dear father. I don't love anyone, and I don't need anyone. I want to be like Artemis, an eternal virgin.
Wise Peny could not understand in any way what happened to his daughter. Yes, and the beautiful nymph herself did not know that the insidious Eros was to blame for everything, because it was he who wounded her in the heart with an arrow that kills love.
Once, flying over a forest clearing, the radiant Apollo saw Daphne, and immediately the wound inflicted by the once insidious Eros revived in his heart. Hot love flared up in him. Apollo quickly descended to the ground, without taking his burning gaze from the young nymph, and stretched out his hands to her. But Daphne, as soon as she saw the mighty young god, began to run from him as fast as she could. The astonished Apollo rushed after his beloved.
- Stop, beautiful nymph, - he called to her, - why are you running away from me like a lamb from a wolf? So the dove flies away from the eagle and the deer runs away from the lion. But I love you. Careful, this is an uneven place, do not fall, I beg you. You hurt your leg, stop.
But the beautiful nymph does not stop, and Apollo begs her again and again:
- You yourself do not know, proud nymph, from whom you are running. After all, I am Apollo, the son of Zeus, and not a mere mortal shepherd. Many call me a healer, but no one can heal my love for you.
Apollo called in vain to the beautiful Daphne. She rushed forward, not making out the road and not listening to his calls. Her clothes fluttered in the wind, golden curls were scattered. Her tender cheeks glowed with a scarlet blush. Daphne became even more beautiful, and Apollo could not stop. He quickened his pace and was already overtaking her. Daphne felt his breath behind her, and she prayed to her father Peney:
- Father, my dear! Help me. Make way, land, take me to you. Change my face, he causes me nothing but suffering.
As soon as she uttered these words, she felt that her whole body was numb, the tender girl's chest was covered with a thin crust. Her hands and fingers turned into branches of flexible laurel, green leaves rustled instead of hair on her head, her light legs were rooted in the ground. Apollo touched the trunk with his hand and felt a tender body still trembling under the fresh bark. He hugs a slender tree, kisses it, strokes flexible twigs. But even the tree does not want his kisses and shies away from him.
For a long time, the saddened Apollo stood next to the proud laurel and finally said sadly:
“You didn’t want to accept my love and become my wife, beautiful Daphne. Then you will become my tree. May a wreath of your leaves always adorn my head. And may your greens never fade. Stay forever green!
And the laurel quietly rustled in response to Apollo and, as if agreeing with him, bowed its green peak.
Since then, Apollo fell in love with shady groves, where, among the emerald greenery, proud evergreen laurels stretched towards the light. Accompanied by his beautiful companions, young muses, he wandered here with a golden lyre in his hands. Often he came to his beloved laurel and, sadly bowing his head, fingered the melodious strings of his cithara. The enchanting sounds of music echoed through the surrounding forests, and everything died away in enthusiastic attention.
But Apollo did not enjoy a carefree life for long. Once the great Zeus called him to his place and said:
- You have forgotten, my son, about my routine. All who have committed murder must be cleansed from the sin of the shed blood. Above you, too, hangs the sin of killing Python.
Apollo did not argue with his great father and convince him that the villain Python himself brought a lot of suffering to people. And by the decision of Zeus, he went to distant Thessaly, where the wise and noble king Admet ruled.
Apollo began to live at the court of Admetus and serve him with faith and truth, atoning for his sin. Admetus instructed Apollo to graze the flocks and look after the cattle. And since Apollo became a shepherd for King Admet, not a single bull from his herd was taken away by wild animals, and his long-maned horses became the best in all Thessaly.
But then one day Apollo saw that King Admet was sad, that he did not eat, did not drink, he walked completely wilted. And soon the reason for his sadness became clear. It turns out that Admet fell in love with the beautiful Alkesta. This love was mutual, the young beauty also loved the noble Admet. But the father of Pelias, king Iolca, set impossible conditions. He promised to give Alcesta as a wife only to the one who comes to the wedding in a chariot drawn by wild animals - a lion and boars.
Dejected Admet did not know what to do. And not that he was weak or cowardly. No, King Admet was powerful and strong. But he did not even imagine how he could cope with such an overwhelming task.
“Don't be sad,” Apollo said to his master. - There is nothing impossible in this world.
Apollo touched Admet's shoulder, and the king felt his muscles fill with irresistible strength. Joyful, he went into the forest, caught wild animals and calmly harnessed them to his chariot. The proud Admetus rushed to the palace of Pelias on his unprecedented team, and Pelius gave his daughter Alcesta to the mighty Admetus as his wife.
For eight years Apollo served with the king of Thessaly, until he finally atoned for his sin, and then returned to Delphi. Everyone here has already been waiting for him. The delighted mother, the goddess Leto, rushed to meet him. The beautiful Artemis rushed in from the hunt as soon as she heard that her brother had returned. He climbed to the top of Parnassus, and here he was surrounded by beautiful muses.

Daphne Daphne

(Daphne, Δάφνη). The daughter of the Roman god Peneus, Apollo was captivated by her beauty and began to persecute her. She turned to the gods with a prayer for salvation and was turned into a laurel, which in Greek is called Δάφνη. Therefore, this tree was dedicated to Apollo.

(Source: "A Concise Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities." M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition of A. Suvorin, 1894.)

Daphne

(Δάφνη), "laurel"), in Greek mythology, a nymph, the daughter of the land of Gaia and the god of the rivers Peneus (or Ladon). The love story of Apollo for D. is told by Ovid. Apollo pursues D., who gave her word to remain celibate and remain celibate, like Artemis. D. prayed to her father for help, and the gods turned her into a laurel tree, which Apollo vainly embraced, who henceforth made laurel his favorite and sacred plant (Ovid. Met. I 452-567). D. - an ancient plant deity, entered the circle of Apollo, losing its independence and becoming an attribute of God. In Delphi, laurel wreaths were given to the winners of the competitions (Paus. VIII 48, 2). Callimachus mentions the sacred laurel on Delos (Hymn. II 1). The Homeric hymn (II 215) tells about divinations from the laurel tree itself. At the festival of Daphnephorium in Thebes, laurel branches were carried.
Lit .: Stechow W., Apollo und Daphne, Lpz. - B., 1932.
A. T.-G.

European drama turns to myth in the 16th century. ("Princess D." by G. Sachs; "D." by A. Bekkari and others). From the end. 16th century after the play "D." O. Rinuccini, set to music by J. Peri, the embodiment of myth in drama is inextricably linked with music (the plays “D.” by M. Opitz, “D.” by J. de La Fontaine and others are operatic librettos). Among the operas of the 17th and 18th centuries: "D." G. Schutz; "D." A. Scarlatti; Florindo and D. G. F. Handel; "D.'s transformation" I. I. Fuks and others; in modern times - "D." R. Strauss.
In ancient art, D. was usually depicted as being overtaken by Apollo (a fresco in the house of the Dioscuri in Pompeii) or turning into a laurel tree (plastic works). In European art, the plot was perceived in the 14-15th centuries, first in book miniature (illustrations for Ovid), during the Renaissance and especially in the Baroque period it became widespread (Giorgione, L. Giordano, J. Bruegel, N. Poussin, J. B. Tiepolo and others). The most significant of the sculptures is the marble group of P. Bernini "Apollo and D."


(Source: Myths of the Nations of the World.)

Daphne

Nymph; pursued by Apollo in love with her, she asked her father, the river god Peneus (according to another myth, Ladon), for help and was turned into a laurel tree.

// Garcilaso de la VEGA: "I look at Daphne, I was dumbfounded ..." // John LILY: Song of Apollo // Giambattista MARINO: "Why, tell me, about Daphne ..." // Julio CORTASAR: Voice of Daphne // N.A ... Kuhn: DAFNA

(Source: "Myths of Ancient Greece. Reference Dictionary." EdwART, 2009.)




Synonyms:

See what "Daphne" is in other dictionaries:

    - (Greek daphne laurel). 1) this plant. berry; the most common kind of it, which grows wild in our country, is wolf pepper. 2) a nymph, the daughter of the river god Peneus and Gaia, who was simultaneously beloved by Apollo and Leucappus; she was saved from the persecution of Apollo by turning into ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

    Nymph, wolf bast Dictionary of Russian synonyms. daphne noun, number of synonyms: 5 asteroid (579) wolf ... Synonym dictionary

    In Greek mythology, a nymph; pursued by Apollo in love with her, she asked her father, the river god Peneus, for help and was turned into a laurel tree ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

    Laurel. Time of occurrence: New. (common). Jewish female names. Dictionary of meanings ... Dictionary of personal names

    Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Apollo and Daphne. 1743 44. Louvre. Paris This term also exists ... Wikipedia

    S; f. [greek. Daphnē] [with a capital letter] In Greek mythology: a nymph who took a vow of chastity and turned into a laurel tree to save herself from the loving Apollo who was pursuing her. * * * Daphne is a nymph in Greek mythology; pursued ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

    Daphne- (Greek Daphne) * * * in Greek mythology, a nymph, daughter of Gaia and the river god Peneus. Pursued by Apollo in love with her, it turned into a laurel. (I. A. Lisovy, K. A. Revyako. The ancient world in terms, names and titles: Dictionary reference book on ... ... The ancient world. Reference dictionary.

    Daphne Dictionary-guide to Ancient Greece and Rome, mythology

    Daphne- (laurel) Greek mountain nymph, whom Apollo constantly coveted and who, in response to a plea for help, was turned by Mother Earth into a laurel tree. (At the time of the ancient Greeks there was a famous sanctuary of Apollo in the laurel forest on ... ... List of ancient Greek names

    In ancient Greek mythology, a nymph. Pursued by Apollo, who was in love with her, D. asked the father of the river god Peney for help, and he converted her to a laurel tree (Greek daphne laurel). The myth of D. was reflected in poetry (Ovid's Metamorphoses), in ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Books

  • "Daphne, you are my joy ...", K. 52 / 46c, Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus. Reprinted sheet music edition of Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus "Daphne, deine Rosenwangen, K. 52 / 46c". Genres: Songs; For voice, piano; For voices with keyboard; Scores featuring the voice; Scores ...

Daphne, Greek ("Laurel") - the daughter of the river god Peney or Ladon, one of the most beautiful nymphs.

He fell in love with Daphne, but not because of her beauty, but as a result of a malicious joke of Eros. Apollo had the imprudence to laugh at the golden bow of the god of love, and Eros decided to demonstrate to him the effectiveness of his weapon. At Apollo, he shot an arrow that evokes love, and at Daphne, who happened to be nearby, an arrow that kills love. Therefore, the love of the most beautiful of the gods did not find reciprocity. Pursued by God, Daphne began to beg her father to change her appearance, she was ready to die rather than become the beloved of Apollo. Daphne's wish came true: her body was covered with bark, her arms turned into branches, her hair into foliage. She turned into an evergreen laurel tree, while Apollo, in memory of his first love, began to wear a decoration in the form of a laurel wreath.

Apparently, the first poetic story about the tragic fate of Daphne belongs to Ovid (the first book "Metamorphoses"). He inspired Bernini to create the famous sculptural group Apollo and Daphne (1622-1624), as well as Pollaiolo, Poussin, Veronese and many other artists - the authors of the paintings of the same name. Perhaps the very first of all the operas, written by J. Peri on the text of the poet O. Rinuccini in 1592, was called "Daphne". A number of further musical incarnations of this plot (Galliano - 1608, Schütz - 1627, Handel - 1708) so far closes the opera "Daphne" by R. Strauss (1937).

As tradition testifies, the myth of Daphne existed long before Ovid (although, perhaps, in a slightly different version). At the place where, according to legend, Daphne turned into a tree, the temple of Apollo was built, which in 395 AD. e. was destroyed by order of the emperor Theodosius I, the enemy of paganism. Since the local laurel grove continued to be visited by pilgrims, in the 5-6 centuries. n. e. there was founded a monastery with a temple of the Virgin Mary; the mosaic decorations of the temple, created in the 11th century, are one of the peaks of the "second golden age" of Byzantine art. This temple stands to this day in a green laurel grove ten kilometers west of Athens and is called "Daphni".

Ancient Greek mythology is rich in curious characters. In addition to the gods and their offspring, legends describe the fate of ordinary mortals and those whose lives were associated with divine creatures.

Origin story

According to legend, Daphne is a mountain nymph, born in the union of the earth goddess Gaia and the river god Peneus. In Metamorphoses, she explains that Daphne was born to the nymph Creusa after a romantic affair with Peneus.

This author adhered to the myth that he fell in love with a lovely girl, being pierced by the arrow of Eros. The beauty did not reciprocate to him, since the other end of the arrow made her indifferent to love. Hiding from the persecution of God, Daphne turned to her parent for help, who turned her into a laurel tree.

According to another writer, Pausanias, the daughter of Gaia and the god of the rivers Ladon, was transferred by her mother to the island of Crete, and a laurel appeared in the place where she was. Tormented by unrequited love, Apollo weaved himself a wreath of tree branches.

Greek mythology is famous for its variability of interpretations, so modern readers know the third myth, according to which Apollo and Leucippus, the son of the ruler of Aenomai, were in love with a girl. The prince, disguised as a woman's dress, pursued the girl. Apollo enchanted him, and the young man went to swim with the girls. The prince was killed for deceiving the nymphs.


Due to the fact that Daphne is associated with a plant, her independent fate in mythology is limited. It is not known whether the girl later became human. In most references, she is associated with an attribute that accompanies Apollo everywhere. The origin of the name is rooted in the depths of history. From Hebrew the meaning of the name was translated as "laurel".

The myth of Apollo and Daphne

Patron of arts, music and poetry, Apollo was the son of the goddess Latona and. Jealous, the Thunderer's wife did not give the woman the opportunity to find refuge. sent after her a dragon named Python, who chased Latona until she settled on Delos. It was a rugged, uninhabited island that blossomed with the birth of Apollo and his sister. Plants appeared on the deserted shores and around the rocks, the island was lit up with sunlight.


Armed with a silver bow, the young man decided to take revenge on Python, who haunted his mother. He flew across the sky to the gloomy gorge where the dragon was located. The furious, terrible beast was about to devour Apollo, but the god struck him with arrows. The young man buried his rival and erected an oracle and a temple at the burial site. According to legend, today Delphi is located at this place.

Not far from the place of the battle flew the prankster Eros. The mischievous man played with golden arrows. One end of the arrow was decorated with a gold tip, and the other with a lead one. While bragging about his victory to the bully, Apollo evoked the wrath of Eros. The little boy shot an arrow into the heart of God, whose golden tip evoked love. The second arrow with a stone tip hit the heart of the lovely nymph Daphne, depriving her of the ability to fall in love.


Seeing a beautiful girl, Apollo loved her with all his heart. Daphne went on the run. God pursued her for a long time, but could not catch up. When Apollo came close, so that she began to feel his breath, Daphne prayed to her father for help. To save his daughter from torment, Peny turned her body into a laurel tree, her hands into branches, and her hair into foliage.

Seeing what his love led to, the inconsolable Apollo hugged the tree for a long time. He decided that a laurel wreath would always accompany him in memory of his beloved.

In culture

Daphne and Apollo is a myth that has inspired artists of different centuries. He is one of the popular legends of the Hellenistic era. In ancient times, the plot found an image in sculptures describing the moment of the girl's transformation. There were mosaics that confirmed the popularity of the myth. Later painters and sculptors were guided by the presentation of Ovid.


During the Renaissance, great attention was again paid to antiquity. In the 15th century, the popular myth of a god and a nymph found a response in the paintings of the painters Pollaiolo, Bernini, Tiepolo, Brueghel, etc. A sculpture by Bernini in 1625 was housed in the Borghese's cardinal residence.

In literature, the images of Apollo and Daphne are repeatedly mentioned thanks to. In the 16th century, the works "Princess" by Sachs and "D." authorship of Bekkari, based on mythological motives. In the 16th century, Rinuccini's play Daphne was set to music and, like Opitz and, became an opera libretto. Inspired by the story of non-reciprocal love, musical works were written by Schutz, Scarlatti, Handel, Fuchs, etc.

Many mythical characters of antiquity were reflected in works of art - paintings, sculptures, frescoes. Apollo and Daphne are no exception, they are depicted in many paintings, and the great sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini even created a sculpture that is famous all over the world. The story of an unrequited god in love is striking in its tragedy and remains relevant to this day.

The Legend of Apollo and Daphne

Apollo was the god of art, music and poetry. According to legend, once he angered the young god Eros, for which he shot an arrow of love at him. And the second arrow - antipathies - was shot by Eros in the heart of the nymph Daphne, who was the daughter of the river god Peneus. And when Apollo saw Daphne, at first glance, love for this young and beautiful girl was kindled in him. He fell in love and could not take his eyes off her extraordinary beauty.

Struck in the heart by the arrow of Eros, Daphne at first glance felt fear and inflamed with hatred for Apollo. Not sharing his feelings, she ran away. But the faster Daphne tried to escape from the pursuer, the more persistent Apollo was in love. At that moment, when he almost overtook his beloved, the girl prayed, turning to her father and asking for help. The moment she cried out in despair, her legs began to stiffen, rooted to the ground, her arms turned into branches, and her hair became the leaves of a laurel tree. Disappointed Apollo could not come to his senses for a long time, trying to accept the inevitable.

History embodied in art

Apollo and Daphne, whose story is striking in despair and tragedy, inspired many great artists, poets, sculptors throughout history. Artists tried to depict running on their canvases, sculptors tried to convey the power of love and the awareness of the young god Apollo's own powerlessness.

A famous work that reliably reflects the tragedy of this story was the painting by A. Pollaiolo, who in 1470 painted a picture of the same name "Apollo and Daphne". Today it hangs in the London National Gallery, drawing the eyes of visitors with the realism of the characters depicted. Relief is read on the girl's face, while Apollo is saddened and annoyed.

A prominent representative of the Rococo style, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, even depicted the girl's father in his painting Apollo and Daphne, who helps her avoid her pursuer. However, despair is read on his face, because the price of such deliverance is too high - his daughter will no longer be among the living.

But the most successful piece of art based on the myth can be considered a sculpture by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini "Apollo and Daphne". Its description and history deserve special attention.

Sculpture by Giovanni Bernini

The great Italian sculptor and architect is deservedly considered a genius of the Baroque, his sculptures live and breathe. One of the greatest achievements of G. Bernini, "Apollo and Daphne", is the early work of the sculptor, when he was still working under the auspices of Cardinal Borghese. He created it in the years 1622-1625.

Bernini managed to convey the moment of despair and the way Apollo and Daphne move. The sculpture fascinates with its realism, the runners are in a single rush. Only in the young man is the desire to take possession of the girl visible, and she seeks to slip out of his hands at any cost. The sculpture is made of Carrara marble, its height is 2.43 m. The talent and dedication of Giovanni Bernini allowed him to complete a masterpiece of art in a relatively short time. Today the sculpture is in the Borghese Gallery, Rome.

The history of the creation of sculpture

Like many other sculptures, the statue of Apollo and Daphne by Giovanni Bernini was commissioned by the Italian cardinal Borghese. The sculptor began work on it in 1622, but he had to interrupt for a more urgent assignment from the cardinal. Leaving the statue unfinished, Bernini set to work on David, and then returned to the interrupted work. The statue was completed 3 years later, in 1625.

To justify the presence in the cardinal's collection of a sculpture with a pagan bias, a couplet was invented, describing the morality of the depicted scene between the characters. Its meaning was that the one who runs after the ghostly beauty will be left with only branches and leaves in their hands. Today, a sculpture depicting the final scene of a short-term relationship between Apollo and Daphne stands in the middle of one of the halls of the gallery and is its thematic center.

Features of the created masterpiece

Many visitors to the Borghese Gallery in Rome note that the sculpture causes an ambiguous attitude towards itself. You can look at it many times, and each time you find something new in the features of the depicted gods, in their frozen movement, in the general concept.

Depending on the mood, some see love and a willingness to give everything for the opportunity to possess a beloved girl, others note what relief is depicted in the eyes of a young nymph when her body turns into a tree.

The perception of sculpture also changes depending on the perspective from which it is viewed. No wonder they put it in the center of the gallery hall. This enables each visitor to find their own point of view and form their own vision of the great masterpiece.