To Adonis

Adohnis is the God of beauty, desire, hope. He is also a vegetation God who's death and resurrection is celebrated in the Spring/Summer time round about the Christian festival of Easter, and is a precursor to it. Adohnis was loved by the Goddesses Aphrodite (the Goddess of love)and Persephone, the Queen of Hades, both of whom were enamoured by his beauty. Aphrodite sheltered Adonis as a new-born baby and entrusted him to Persephone. Persephone was also taken by Adonis' beauty and refused to give him back to Aphrodite. The dispute between the two goddesses was settled by Zeus (or by Calliope on Zeus' behalf): Adonis was to spend one-third of every year with each goddess and the last third wherever he chose. He chose to spend two-thirds of the year with Aphrodite. When Adohnis was killed by a wild boar (possibly sent by Ares in jealousy of Aphrodite's love for him), Aphrodite and all the women mourned his death. Aphrodite poured nectar over him and his blood, and From this mixture of blood and nectar the blood-red anemone grew.