In
Classical mythology
Classical mythology, also known as Greco-Roman mythology or Greek and Roman mythology, is the collective body and study of myths from the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans. Mythology, along with philosophy and political thought, is one of the m ...
, Crocus (
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
: Κρόκος, ''Krókos'') was a mortal youth who was changed by the gods into a
saffron flower.
Mythology
Crocus was unhappy with his love affair with the
nymph
A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
Smilax, and he was turned by the gods into a plant bearing his name, the crocus (
saffron). Smilax is believed to have been given a similar fate and transformed into
bindweed
Bindweed may refer to:
* Some species of Convolvulaceae (bindweed family or morning glory family):
** ''Calystegia'' (bindweed, false bindweed, morning glory), a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants
** ''Convolvulus'' (bindweed, morning ...
.
In another variation of the myth, Crocus was said to be a companion of
Hermes and was accidentally killed by the god in a game of
discus when he unexpectedly stood up. As the unfortunate youth's blood dripped on the soil, the saffron flower came to be. The myth is similar to that of
Apollo
Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
and
Hyacinthus, and may indeed be a variation or modelled after it thereof.
In his translation of
Nonnos' ''
Dionysiaca'',
W.H.D. Rouse describes the tale of Crocus as being from the late Classical period and little-known.
[In: Nonnos, ''Dionysiaca''. With an English translation by W. H. D. Rouse. Volume I, books I - XV. Cambridge - Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, London, William Heinemann Ltd, 1940, p. 404]
See also
*
Clytie
*
Hyacinthus, another youth killed in a discus accident and turned into a flower
*
Smilax, Crocus' lover turned into a shrub
Notes
References
*
Grimal, Pierre. ''A Concise Dictionary of Classical mythology''. Basil Blackwell Ltd, 1990. - p. 109
*
*
Nonnus of Panopolis, ''
Dionysiaca'' translated by William Henry Denham Rouse (1863-1950), from the Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1940.
Online version at the Topos Text Project.*
Nonnus of Panopolis, ''
Dionysiaca. 3 Vols.'' W.H.D. Rouse. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1940-1942
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
*
Publius Ovidius Naso, ''
Metamorphoses
The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...
'' translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.*
Publius Ovidius Naso, ''
Metamorphoses
The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...
.'' Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892
Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library
*
Smith, William, ''
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' is a biographical dictionary of classical antiquity, edited by William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith and originally published in London by John Taylor (English publisher), Tayl ...
'', London (1873)
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
*''
Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft
The Pauly encyclopedias or the Pauly-Wissowa family of encyclopedias, are a set of related encyclopedias on Greco-Roman world, Greco-Roman classical studies, topics and scholarship. The first of these, or (1839–1852), was begun by compiler A ...
'', Band XI, Halbband 22, Komogrammateus-Kynegoi (1922) - ss. 1972-1973
External links
FLOWER MYTHS from The Theoi Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crocus (Mythology)
Metamorphoses characters
Metamorphoses into flowers in Greek mythology
Deeds of Hermes
LGBTQ themes in Greek mythology
Greek literature (post-classical)