A-Z: General definitions: Narcissus

Definition

Narcissus was the son of the river god Cephissus and a nymph, Liriope. Teiresias prophesied that Narcissus would live to be old if he never came to know himself. As he grew up, many boys and girls (including Echo) fell in love with him, but he rejected them all. One of them prayed that Narcissus himself would experience the pain of unrequited love. Nemesis heard, and Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of clear water. He lay there, admiring himself, until he died of starvation. His body was never found. Instead, the flower we call narcissus grew on the bank of the pool.

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Echo

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