Daphne sat near the edge of a small spring in the middle of the forest.
She often came here to think. Most young women her age were married or
betrothed, dreaming of the glories of the household and motherhood.
Letting her delicate feet dip into the cool spring she sighed happily,
knowing she was lucky to not be forced into marriage.
Maybe once she might have thought that she would gladly marry and give children to her husband but one day it suddenly struck her she did not want to marry. She no longer cared for her appearance or for attracting appropriate suitors. Her father pleaded with her relentlessly when she came of age to marry until she begged him to allowed her the same gift as Diana--to remain a virgin for the rest of her days. Her father initially chafed at this request but sensing her determination, he had eventually given into her request.
Daphne smiled as she brushed her untamed hair back from her face, not knowing that she was being watched.
Apollo stood a good ways back from the spring, watching his lovely nymph dip her toes in the spring. He thought to himself that such beauty should be admired and not hidden behind a tangle of hair. If only, he wished, he could come up to her and comb her hair he could cure this sickness that dwelt within. After Apollo had mocked Cupid, the god of love had punished Apollo by cursing him with love. The love Cupid had cursed him with was a love that could not be quenched by anyone other than the woman at the spring. He had long watched her and knew of her vow of celibacy but he was sure that no mortal woman could resist his charms. After all, he was a god.
Daphne heard a sound behind her in the forest. She stood quickly, fear making her pale and, to Apollo, all the more lovely. Her eyes glistened like stars in the dappled light that filtered through the forest canopy. Her lips were a pale pink that begged him to kiss her. Her hands and bare arms led him to imagine the rest of her beauty. No, he could not simply comb her hair and be satisfied. His lust lit a fire within him that could not be extinguished though she stood still as a doe alarmed by the sounds of an approaching hunter.
Apollo stepped forward from the shade that hide him and said to her, "Daughter of Peneus, you have no reason to fear me."
Daphne did not stop to listen to the end of his entreaty; she fled. Feeling the branches and brush underneath tear at her as though trying to stop her, she still did not slow. Distantly, as though she rode on the winds, she heard his words trying to catch her.
Apollo's frustration fueled his flight after Daphne. He had waited so long for the right moment to approach her and now she would not even listen to him. He was the god of the sun, he knew the future and past, and he was the god of medicine but she did not seem to care. His oracles had told him that she would be his and they would never lie to him. He had not thought he would meet such resistance. Apollo smiled as he ran effortlessly behind her, near enough now to hear her ragged breaths. Soon, she would no longer be able to run and she would be his.
Daphne heard him so close and she felt and a burst of energy before distancing herself more. She heard him calling to her, begging her to slow so that she might not hurt herself.
"Nymph, slow down so that I might be further enchanted by your beauty even as you flee me!" Apollo called, trying to convince himself as much as her that he would not try to catch her. She was amazing and he could not imagine some accident happening to her because of this chase.
"Please, what if you were to cut your bare feet on this treacherous ground?" Apollo paused before continuing, deftly jumping over a fallen tree. "I would be more than happy to slow down--if only so I could watch you running from me."
Daphne glanced down quickly at her attire only to see that her clothing had been torn away by branches and welts had been raised from her swift flight. She flushed at the thought that he was watching her run almost completely uncovered and unprotected from his desiring eyes. She would not be caught. She had wanted to remain a virgin and she would not have that purity stolen from her by a lustful god. She had now outrun him long enough to catch her breath but she knew she was spent. She could not keep running.
Hearing Apollo rushing closer towards her, she cried out, "Help! If the earth should gape open and swallow me I would be happy to be free of this pursuit." Looking at the stream nearby, Daphne hoped her father Peneus, a river god, might be able to save her. "Or change my form which causes me all my sorrows!"
She felt her feet suddenly rooted to the ground and a stronger fear captured her. She could no longer flee. She felt her body lengthening and her arms splitting until she suddenly felt no pain.
While Daphne was still not completely transformed into a tree, Apollo came into the clearing and slowly walked up to her. Daphne shifted her trunk away from Apollo's hands and when she could not run, she shuddered under his touch.
Apollo smiled then, running his hand down the side of the tree. "You will always be mine. I may not have caught you but your leaves will become my symbol. This will have to work since as a tree you cannot be my mistress."
Apollo gently kissed the bark of the tree, which he thought seemed as smooth as Daphne's skin would have been. Now, though, she was a tree and Apollo would never capture her.
Author's Note: I decided to do a back and forth between the two characters so that their motivations could become clear. The reason Apollo was struck by Cupid's arrow was because he was arrogant and boasting of his skill with a bow and arrow. However, Apollo insulted Cupid by telling him to put his weapon aside and by mocking his child-like appearance. Cupid then shot him with an arrow that would force him to love and shot Daphne with a lead arrow. This is why she suddenly decided she would not marry or give her father grandchildren. This story is an example of how people can be affected by the will of the gods even though they have no involvement in the argument--not to mention, the gods punish other gods for not being courteous. Apollo wanted to force Daphne into a marriage bed against her will and so she was saved by being turned into a tree. Although she may have escaped Apollo, it seems unfair that what Cupid did was harshest on her.
Chapter One: Abduction
Chapter Three: Contest
Back to CoverPage
Back to Introduction
Maybe once she might have thought that she would gladly marry and give children to her husband but one day it suddenly struck her she did not want to marry. She no longer cared for her appearance or for attracting appropriate suitors. Her father pleaded with her relentlessly when she came of age to marry until she begged him to allowed her the same gift as Diana--to remain a virgin for the rest of her days. Her father initially chafed at this request but sensing her determination, he had eventually given into her request.
Daphne smiled as she brushed her untamed hair back from her face, not knowing that she was being watched.
Apollo stood a good ways back from the spring, watching his lovely nymph dip her toes in the spring. He thought to himself that such beauty should be admired and not hidden behind a tangle of hair. If only, he wished, he could come up to her and comb her hair he could cure this sickness that dwelt within. After Apollo had mocked Cupid, the god of love had punished Apollo by cursing him with love. The love Cupid had cursed him with was a love that could not be quenched by anyone other than the woman at the spring. He had long watched her and knew of her vow of celibacy but he was sure that no mortal woman could resist his charms. After all, he was a god.
Daphne heard a sound behind her in the forest. She stood quickly, fear making her pale and, to Apollo, all the more lovely. Her eyes glistened like stars in the dappled light that filtered through the forest canopy. Her lips were a pale pink that begged him to kiss her. Her hands and bare arms led him to imagine the rest of her beauty. No, he could not simply comb her hair and be satisfied. His lust lit a fire within him that could not be extinguished though she stood still as a doe alarmed by the sounds of an approaching hunter.
Apollo stepped forward from the shade that hide him and said to her, "Daughter of Peneus, you have no reason to fear me."
Daphne did not stop to listen to the end of his entreaty; she fled. Feeling the branches and brush underneath tear at her as though trying to stop her, she still did not slow. Distantly, as though she rode on the winds, she heard his words trying to catch her.
Apollo's frustration fueled his flight after Daphne. He had waited so long for the right moment to approach her and now she would not even listen to him. He was the god of the sun, he knew the future and past, and he was the god of medicine but she did not seem to care. His oracles had told him that she would be his and they would never lie to him. He had not thought he would meet such resistance. Apollo smiled as he ran effortlessly behind her, near enough now to hear her ragged breaths. Soon, she would no longer be able to run and she would be his.
Daphne heard him so close and she felt and a burst of energy before distancing herself more. She heard him calling to her, begging her to slow so that she might not hurt herself.
"Nymph, slow down so that I might be further enchanted by your beauty even as you flee me!" Apollo called, trying to convince himself as much as her that he would not try to catch her. She was amazing and he could not imagine some accident happening to her because of this chase.
"Please, what if you were to cut your bare feet on this treacherous ground?" Apollo paused before continuing, deftly jumping over a fallen tree. "I would be more than happy to slow down--if only so I could watch you running from me."
Daphne glanced down quickly at her attire only to see that her clothing had been torn away by branches and welts had been raised from her swift flight. She flushed at the thought that he was watching her run almost completely uncovered and unprotected from his desiring eyes. She would not be caught. She had wanted to remain a virgin and she would not have that purity stolen from her by a lustful god. She had now outrun him long enough to catch her breath but she knew she was spent. She could not keep running.
Hearing Apollo rushing closer towards her, she cried out, "Help! If the earth should gape open and swallow me I would be happy to be free of this pursuit." Looking at the stream nearby, Daphne hoped her father Peneus, a river god, might be able to save her. "Or change my form which causes me all my sorrows!"
She felt her feet suddenly rooted to the ground and a stronger fear captured her. She could no longer flee. She felt her body lengthening and her arms splitting until she suddenly felt no pain.
While Daphne was still not completely transformed into a tree, Apollo came into the clearing and slowly walked up to her. Daphne shifted her trunk away from Apollo's hands and when she could not run, she shuddered under his touch.
Apollo smiled then, running his hand down the side of the tree. "You will always be mine. I may not have caught you but your leaves will become my symbol. This will have to work since as a tree you cannot be my mistress."
Apollo gently kissed the bark of the tree, which he thought seemed as smooth as Daphne's skin would have been. Now, though, she was a tree and Apollo would never capture her.
Author's Note: I decided to do a back and forth between the two characters so that their motivations could become clear. The reason Apollo was struck by Cupid's arrow was because he was arrogant and boasting of his skill with a bow and arrow. However, Apollo insulted Cupid by telling him to put his weapon aside and by mocking his child-like appearance. Cupid then shot him with an arrow that would force him to love and shot Daphne with a lead arrow. This is why she suddenly decided she would not marry or give her father grandchildren. This story is an example of how people can be affected by the will of the gods even though they have no involvement in the argument--not to mention, the gods punish other gods for not being courteous. Apollo wanted to force Daphne into a marriage bed against her will and so she was saved by being turned into a tree. Although she may have escaped Apollo, it seems unfair that what Cupid did was harshest on her.
Chapter One: Abduction
Chapter Three: Contest
Back to CoverPage
Back to Introduction
Apollo and Daphne by Naso, Publius
Ovidius. Metamorphoses.
Trans. Samuel Garth, et al. New York: Globusz. 2 Mar. 2009 <Web Source>.
Nicholas Poussin: Apollo and Daphne
1625, Munich: Alte Pinakothek <Image Source>
Trans. Samuel Garth, et al. New York: Globusz. 2 Mar. 2009 <Web Source>.
Nicholas Poussin: Apollo and Daphne
1625, Munich: Alte Pinakothek <Image Source>