Hyacinthus
heroHyacinthus was a Spartan prince of extraordinary beauty loved by both Apollo and Zephyrus — his accidental death gave birth to the hyacinth flower.
The Myth
Apollo and Hyacinthus were throwing a discus together. Zephyrus, jealous of their closeness, blew the discus off course. It struck Hyacinthus on the head, killing him. Apollo, grief-stricken, refused to let Hades take the youth and transformed his blood into the hyacinth flower, inscribing its petals with the letters AI — a Greek cry of mourning. The Hyacinthia festival at Sparta was one of the most important in the Peloponnese.
Parents
Amyclas and Diomede
Symbols
Fun Fact
The hyacinth flower preserves Hyacinthus's memory in every garden — though the ancient hyakinthos may have been a different plant entirely.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Apollo
godGod of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine...
Hades
godRuler of the underworld and lord of the dead. Despite his fearsome reputation, Hades was not evil —...
Sparta
placeSparta was the austere military state whose warriors were the most feared in Greece — whose stand...
Zephyrus
godZephyrus was the god of the gentle west wind, bringer of spring.
Achilles
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Actaeon
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