Narcissus (mythology)
Narcissus is a prominent figure in Greek and Roman mythology known for his extraordinary beauty and tragic fate. According to the myth, Narcissus, the son of the river deity Cephissus and the naiad Liriope, fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, leading to an all-consuming obsession. The original Greek tale depicts him as a young man who rejects the affections of many, ultimately succumbing to despair when he realizes he cannot kiss his own reflection. The story has two endings: in one, he wastes away and transforms into the narcissus flower, and in another, he takes his own life.
The Roman poet Ovid popularized the myth further by introducing the nymph Echo, who falls hopelessly in love with Narcissus. Her unreturned affection and subsequent transformation into an echo highlight themes of unrequited love and vanity. Ovid's version also involves the goddess Nemesis punishing Narcissus for his arrogance, compelling him to fall in love with his own image but never achieving fulfillment. The tale has inspired numerous artistic interpretations, including paintings and literature, and the term "narcissism" derives from his name, reflecting the contemporary understanding of excessive self-admiration.
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Narcissus (mythology)
Narcissus is a well-known character in Greek and Roman mythology who was so handsome that he fell in love with his own reflection. The standard Greek iteration of the Narcissus myth relates that the beautiful youth encountered his reflection in a pool of water by chance, sparking a tragic obsession with himself that led to his untimely death. The Roman poet Ovid expanded on the Greek story, introducing the nymph Echo as a character in the fable. In Ovid's version of the tale, Echo pursues Narcissus to no avail, and her unrequited love for him leaves her doomed to a life of sadness and solitude. The goddess Nemesis later exacts revenge on the vain youth by inducing him to fall in love with his own reflection, prompting him to spend the rest of his life hopelessly staring at it.
The character's name is the root of the English words narcissism and narcissistic, both of which are used to describe excessive self-admiration. The narcissus is also a type of daffodil, which originated with Narcissus's death, according to ancient Greek legend.
Background
In the ancient Greek mythological tradition, Narcissus is the son of Cephissus and Liriope. Cephissus, a river deity, is the physical incarnation of the Cephissus River in the Boeotia region of central Greece. Liriope is a beautiful naiad, or water nymph. The couple have five children, including Narcissus; his sisters Daulis, Lilaea, and Melaeno; and his brother, Eteocles, who becomes the mythical ruler of the ancient Boeotian city of Orchomenus. According to Greek legend, Narcissus was born in the Boeotian city of Thespiae.
One day, a soothsayer tells Liriope that Narcissus is destined to lead a long and prosperous life as long as he "never got to know himself." However, Liriope does not come to understand the meaning of the prophecy until it is too late.
Reaching maturity, Narcissus grows into an exceptionally handsome young man, but he does not share the feelings of the many young women and men who fall in love with him. Leaving a trail of heartbroken suitors behind him, Narcissus goes his own way until he happens to encounter his reflection in a pool of water. In so doing, he finally finds someone he deems worthy of his love: himself.
The original Greek myth tells that Narcissus attempts to kiss his reflection, but in so doing, he disturbs the stillness of the pool and thus loses sight of his mirrored image. Narcissus's love for himself grows into an obsession, leaving him unable to satisfy his desire to kiss his reflection yet powerless to walk away from the pool of water and go on with his life. Filled with despair by his unrequited love for himself, Narcissus neither eats or drinks and spends all his time staring back at his ephemeral image. The end of his tale has two variations. In the first, Narcissus simply wastes away until he dies. In the other, he elects to solve his heartbreak by committing suicide. According to the first version, Narcissus's corpse decomposes into the soil, giving life to the narcissus daffodils that now bear his name. The second version has the narcissus daffodil flowers springing from the drops of blood that fall to the soil when Narcissus fatally stabs himself.
Overview
While the Narcissus legend was not particularly popular among the ancient Greeks, it took on new life during the Roman Empire, when the Roman poet Ovid expanded on the tale in a retelling that appears in Book III of his mythological masterwork, Metamorphoses. Ovid's version, which has since become the most popular iteration of the Narcissus myth, introduces the beautiful nymph Echo into Narcissus's life.
Echo has a beautiful voice that is capable of mesmerizing anyone who hears it. Jupiter, the king of the Roman gods, enjoyed dalliances with nymphs but wanted to keep them secret from his wife, the goddess Juno. Jupiter asks Echo to distract Juno with her spellbinding voice while he goes off to consort with nymphs. However, Juno discovers the deception and punishes Echo by taking away her voice and replacing it with the ability only to repeat words spoken to her.
Ovid's rendering of the story maintains the prophecy of the soothsayer and finds Narcissus hunting for stags when Echo spots him in the woods. Falling in love with him, Echo pursues Narcissus but cannot speak to him, since Juno has taken her beautiful voice away. She eventually lures Narcissus into a conversation by repeating his last words, which she uses to reveal her desire for him. However, Narcissus rejects her, saying that he would sooner die than give in to her advances. Ashamed of herself, Echo leaves the woods and goes to live in caves, where her body turns to stone. In the end, only Echo's disembodied voice is left behind to repeat words.
Echo proved to be the first of many suitors whose desire for Narcissus met only with the beautiful youth's mockery and scorn. Before committing suicide, another suitor petitions Nemesis, the revenge goddess, to make Narcissus fall in love but never be able to consummate that love. Nemesis fulfills the request and lures Narcissus to fall in love with his own reflection. Ovid relates that Narcissus makes a conscious decision to stay by the pool and waste away, preferring death over a life of sorrowful heartbreak. About to die, Narcissus bids his reflection farewell, which Echo's voice tenderly repeats back to him. In yet another variation of the myth, it is the goddess Artemis, not Nemesis, who answers a prayer from one of Narcissus's rebuffed suitors and guides the youth to fall in love with himself.
Roman artists memorialized Ovid's iteration of the story in many ways, including in a collection cave paintings found in the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii. The Italian artist Caravaggio memorialized the character in a famous baroque masterpiece titled Narcissus, which shows the forlorn mythical youth despondently gazing down at his reflected image. Narcissus has also been portrayed in many other Western paintings and works of art.
Bibliography
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