adonis, the greek god of desire, occasionally the greek god of vegetation. a youth of remarkable beauty, the product of smyrna (myrrha) and her own father, the syrian king theias. adorned by aphrodite, raised by persephone, and later adorned by her too. zeus declared the boy would spend a third of the year with aphrodite, a third of the year with persephone, and the rest of the year at his own disposal. ⸺ cb for a oneliner.