The Stories
The stories of Ganymede and Apollo and Hyacinthus were both recorded by Ovid in his work the Metamorphosis, which means change, because within all included stories characters change from one thing into another. These two also showcase some of the most well known homosexual couples in Greek/Roman mythology.
Mythological Background
Ganymede and Jupiter
Jupiter is the king of all the Olympian gods, and is one of the major three male gods in Greek/Roman mythology. The youngest of the three brothers he ends up being the god of the sky while Neptune takes the ocean and Hades rules the underworld. He marries his sister, Juno, who is the goddess of marriage, and often depicted as jealous and vengeful of her husband's many affairs. This is why Juno is considered 'unwilling' at the end of Ovid's writing, in the case of Ganymede her jealousy doesn't take her as far as she has gone in other cases. For example she once sent a horsefly to chase Io, her husband's girlfriend, across several continents. Apollo and Hyacinthus Apollo is the son of Jupiter and the mortal women, Leto, his twin sister Diana is associated with the moon while he drives the sun chariot across the sky. In addition to the sun, Apollo is also associated with music, medicine, archery, and the god of oracles, which is why Delphi is listed among his sacred places. This god is also associated with the creation of several different plants, when he is shot by cupid and falls madly in love with Daphne she transforms into a tree to escape him, and ever since that he is known for wearing laurul leaf crowns. In the myth of Apollo and Hyacinthus the god creates the flower we call the Hyacinth. |
Image Bibliography:
Apollo Statue. N.d. Online. Web.
Purple Hyacinth Variety. N.d. Online. Web.
Rembrandt. Rape of Ganymede. 1635. N.p.
Thorvaldsen, Bertel. Ganymede Waters Zeus as an Eagle. 1770-1844. Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Web.
West, Benjamin. The Death of Hyacinthus. 1771. N.p.
Apollo Statue. N.d. Online. Web.
Purple Hyacinth Variety. N.d. Online. Web.
Rembrandt. Rape of Ganymede. 1635. N.p.
Thorvaldsen, Bertel. Ganymede Waters Zeus as an Eagle. 1770-1844. Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Web.
West, Benjamin. The Death of Hyacinthus. 1771. N.p.