Zeus, the King of the Olympian gods, was notorious for his numerous love affairs and flings. He never missed an opportunity to mess around, especially when his wife Hera, Queen of the Olympians, was otherwise occupied.
There lived a young and beautiful mountain Nymph named Echo, who was a very pleasant girl, but she had a reputation for being a chatterbox. Nothing pleased Echo more than the sound of her own voice.
One day, while Echo was amusing and distracting Hera with her chatter, Zeus took advantage to frolic on earth with the other mountain Nymphs. He succeeded in ravishing some of them, until Hera finally became aware of his infidelity.
Hera was livid, to say the least, but she knew better than to challenge her husband, Ruler of Olympus and possessor of the fearsome thunderbolts. Rather that retaliating against Zeus, she took out her wrath on poor Echo!
You see, Hera assumed that because Echo distracted her during her husband's earthly encounters, she must of course be in cahoots with Zeus. It therefore followed that she must be punished.
Nothing could be further from the truth - Young Echo may have been way too talkative, but she was not doing Zeus any favors when her chatter kept Hera from noticing his absence. Still, Hera was convinced otherwise.
To punish the hapless girl, Hera took away her most valuable possession, her voice. Hera permitted Echo only to reply in foolish repetition of another's shouted words. Thus, all Echo could do was mimic the words of the speaker.
There lived in Thespia a vain youth named Narcissus, son of the blue Nymph called Leiriope. This Nymph had been seduced by the River god Cephisus, who had encirled Leirope with the windings of his streams and trapped her.
Narcissus was the product of their union.
The blue Nymph Leirope was concerned about the welfare of hernew baby so she went to consult a famous oracle by the name of Teiresias regarding her son's future.
The seer told the Nymph that Narcissus "would live to be a ripe old age, as long as he never knew himself." A cryptic pronouncement, to be sure, but fitting, as we shall soon see.
Narcissus was incredibly beautiful as a child, and grew even more so as he matured. Both men and women equally desired him, but the vain youth rebuffed everybody.
By the age of sixteen he had left strewn a trail of broken hearts, rejected lovers all. Narcissus had absolutely no interest in falling in love with anyone and strenuously resisted all attempts at romance.
Echo had spotted the gorgeous - yet conceited - youth and had fallen desperately in love with him. Looking for an opportunity to convey her adoration, she found her chance one day while Narcissus was out hunting stags.
For hours Echo stealthily followed the handsome youth through the woods, her heart beating with excitement, yet unable to speak first. Finally Narcissus heard soft footsteps behind him and paused in his tracks.
Nothing there. He kept walking. He heard the steps again and this time shouted loudly, "Who goes there?" "Who goes there?" came Echo's reply.
And so it went, back and forth, until finally Echo could no longer handle the longing - dashing out from behind a tree, she rushed the startled Narcissus and wrapped her arms around the lovely object of her obsession.
Narcissus was mortified! Who was this impetuous girl, he wondered, and why was she trying to kiss him? Repulsed, he shoved away Echo, rudely telling her to leave his presence.
Chalk up another broken heart. Devastated, Echo spent the remainder of her life wandering in lonely glens, pining away for the love she never knew, until at last only her voice remained.
Narcissus was not finished. A handsome man named Ameinius was one of the vain youth's most ardent admirers and relentlessly vied for his attention. So what did Narcissus do? The conceited youth responded to the entreaties by sending his suitor a sword, telling him to prove his adoration.
Not knowing how else to prove his adoration, Ameinius proceeded to plunge the sword into his heart, committing suicide to demonstrate his love. As he lay dying, he beseeched the gods to punish the heartless Narcissus.
The goddess of the hunt, Artemis, heard the dying plea and proceeded to exact revenge. She caused Narcissus to fall in love, but the kind of love that could never be fulfilled.
Narcissus came upon a clear spring at Donacon in Thespia and, as he bent low to quench his thirst, for the first time caught sight of himself reflected in the pool. Try as he might to touch the exquisite person in the waters, however, he never could.
Enraptured sat Narcissus, gazing at the beauty reflected, but unable to be fulfilled. The spell of Artemis had totally mesmerized him, and for hours he sprawled by the spring, until at last he recognized himself.
Duh!
Tortured by the sudden realization that he could never possess the object of his infatuation, Narcissus grew morose. In the same way that he had tormented all of those suitors unlucky enough to fall in love with him, it was now Narcissus who for the first time experienced the pangs of love unrequited.
Unable at last to stand the agony Narcissus plunged a dagger in his heart and died, calling out a final goodbye to his reflected image.
Where his blood soaked the earth sprung up the white narcissus flower with its red corollary, forever growing at the water's edge, its head inclined towards the water.
Echo was a beautiful nymph, fond of the woods and hills, where she devoted herself to woodland sports. She was a favourite of Diana, and attended her in the chase. But Echo had one failing; she was fond of talking, and whether in chat or argument, would have the last word.
One day Juno was seeking her husband, who, she had reason to fear, was amusing himself among the nymphs. Echo by her talk contrived to detain the goddess till the nymphs made their escape. When Juno discovered it, she passed sentence upon Echo in these words: "You shall forfeit the use of that tongue with which you have cheated me, except for that one purpose you are so fond of - reply. You shall still have the last word, but no power to speak first."
This nymph saw Narcissus, a beautiful youth, as he pursued the chase upon the mountains. She loved him and followed his footsteps. O how she longed to address him in the softest accents, and win him to converse! but it was not in her power. She waited with impatience for him to speak first, and had her answer ready.
One day the youth, being separated from his companions, shouted aloud, "Who's here?" Echo replied, "Here." Narcissus looked around, but seeing no one, called out, "Come." Echo answered, "Come." As no one came, Narcissus called again, "Why do you shun me?" Echo asked the same question. "Let us join one another," said the youth. The maid answered with all her heart in the same words, and hastened to the spot, ready to throw her arms about his neck.
He started back, exclaiming, "Hands off! I would rather die than you should have me!"
"Have me," said she; but it was all in vain. He left her, and she went to hide her blushes in the recesses of the woods. From that time forth she lived in caves and among mountain cliffs. Her form faded with grief, till at last all her flesh shrank away. Her bones were changed into rocks and there was nothing left of her but her voice. With that she is still ready to reply to any one who calls her, and keeps up her old habit of having the last word.
Narcissus's cruelty in this case was not the only instance. He shunned all the rest of the nymphs, as he had done poor Echo. One day a maiden who had in vain endeavored to attract him uttered a prayer that he might some time or other feel what it was to love and meet no return of affection.
The avenging goddess heard and granted the prayer. There was a clear fountain, with water like silver, to which the shepherds never drove their flocks, nor the mountain goats resorted, nor any of the beasts of the forests; neither was it defaced with fallen leaves or branches; but the grass grew fresh around it, and the rocks sheltered it from the sun.
Hither came one day the youth, fatigued with hunting, heated and thirsty. He stooped down to drink, and saw his own image in the water; he thought it was some beautiful water-spirit living in the fountain. He stood gazing with admiration at those bright eyes, those locks curled like the locks of Bacchus or Apollo, the rounded cheeks, the ivory neck, the parted lips, and the glow of health and exercise over all.
He fell in love with himself. He brought his lips near to take a kiss; he plunged his arms in to embrace the beloved object. It fled at the touch, but returned again after a moment and renewed the fascination. He could not tear himself away; he lost all thought of food or rest. while he hovered over the brink of the fountain gazing upon his own image.
He talked with the supposed spirit: "Why, beautiful being, do you shun me? Surely my face is not one to repel you. The nymphs love me, and you yourself look not indifferent upon me. When I stretch forth my arms you do the same; and you smile upon me and answer my beckonings with the like."
His tears fell into the water and disturbed the image. As he saw it depart, he exclaimed, "Stay, I entreat you! Let me at least gaze upon you, if I may not touch you." With this, and much more of the same kind, he cherished the flame that consumed him, so that by degrees be lost his colour, his vigour, and the beauty which formerly had so charmed the nymph Echo.
She kept near him, however, and when he exclaimed, "Alas! alas!" she answered him with the same words. He pined away and died; and when his shade passed the Stygian river, it leaned over the boat to catch a look of itself in the waters.
The nymphs mourned for him, especially the water-nymphs; and when they smote their breasts Echo smote hers also. They prepared a funeral pile and would have burned the body, but it was nowhere to be found; but in its place a flower, purple within, and surrounded with white leaves, which bears the name and preserves the memory of Narcissus.
