Nyctimene was, according to Roman mythology, the daughter of Epopeus, a king of Lesbos. In some versions of the story she was raped by their father, w...
Nyctimene was, according to Roman mythology, the daughter of Epopeus, a king of Lesbos. In some versions of the story she was raped by their father, while in others she was seduced seduced. Out of shame or guilt, she fled to the forest and refused to show her face in daylight. Taking pity on her, Minerva transformed her into the nocturnal owl which, in time, became a widespread symbol of the goddess. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, the transformation was a punishment for an unspecified crime.In Metamorphoses, Cornix (the crow) complains that her place as Minerva's sacred bird is being usurped by Nyctimene, who is so ashamed of herself that she will not be seen by daylight.Her name has been given to a genus of bats and an asteroid.
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Phoenix (mythology)
In Ancient Greek folklore, a phoenix (; Ancient Greek: φοῖνιξ, phoînix) is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. A...
In Ancient Greek folklore, a phoenix (; Ancient Greek: φοῖνιξ, phoînix) is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates or is otherwise born again. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. Some legends say it dies in a show of flames and combustion, others that it simply dies and decomposes before being born again.Over time the phoenix motif spread from its origins in classical folklore and gained a variety of new associations: Herodotus, Lucan, Pliny the Elder, Pope Clement I, Lactantius, Ovid, and Isidore of Seville are among those who have contributed to the retelling and transmission of the phoenix motif. Over time, extending beyond its origins in classical Greek folklore, the phoenix could variously "symbolize renewal in general as well as the sun, time, the Empire, metempsychosis, consecration, resurrection, life in the heavenly Paradise, Christ, Mary, virginity, the exceptional man, and certain aspects of Christian life". In the Motif-Index of Folk-Literature, a tool used by folklorists, the phoenix is classified as motif B32.
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