Apollo and Daphne
Apollo pursues the nymph Daphne, who escapes him through transformation into the laurel tree.
The Story
Apollo became consumed by desire for the nymph Daphne.
Daphne wanted no marriage.
She preferred the freedom of the wild and resisted Apollo's pursuit.
In the most famous surviving version, the conflict began after Apollo mocked Eros for using a bow.
Eros answered by shooting Apollo with an arrow that inspired desire.
Daphne was struck with an arrow that produced the opposite effect.
Apollo pursued her.
Daphne fled.
As the god drew closer, she called upon her divine parent for help.
Her body began to change.
Her feet rooted themselves to the earth.
Her arms became branches.
Her hair became leaves.
Daphne was transformed into a laurel tree.
Apollo could no longer possess her as a woman.
Instead he declared the laurel sacred to himself.
The tree became one of Apollo's most recognisable symbols and later became strongly associated with victory, prophecy and poetic achievement.
The story therefore explains one of Apollo's central sacred plants while also preserving Daphne's refusal through transformation.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The myth explains Apollo's association with the laurel and became one of the most influential Greek and Roman transformation stories.
Traditions & Variations
The identity of Daphne's father varies between traditions. Peneus is a common version, while other sources give different river or local genealogies. Ovid's version involving the arrows of Eros became especially influential.