Adonis and Aphrodite (2)

Text
Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.14.4:
But Hesiod says Adonis was the son of Phoenix and Alphesiboea, while Panyassis makes him the son of Theias, a king of Assyria, who had a daughter Smyrna. She, through the anger of Aphrodite (whom she failed to honour), conceived a desire for her father, and with her nurse as accomplice she lay with him for twelve nights without his realizing it. When he became aware of it, he drew a sword and chased her, and she as she was being overtaken prayed to the gods to disappear. They took pity on her and changed her into the tree called smyrna (myrrh). Ten months later the tree split open, and they say Adonis was born from it. Because of his beauty Aphrodite concealed him from the gods, still a baby, in a chest, and placed it with Persephone; but when she saw him, she refused to give him back. An adjudication was made by Zeus, and the year was divided into three parts. He ordained that Adonis should stay by himself for one part, stay for one with Persephone, and the other with Aphrodite. But Adonis gave Aphrodite his own time too. Later, while hunting, he was gored by a boar and died.

Sources (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.14.4
Panyassis 28

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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