Crocus was a mortal young man in Greek mythology. According to one myth, he was unhappy with his affair with Smilax; the gods felt pity for him and turned him into the plant of the same name (crocus or saffron). Similarly, Smilax was turned into bindweed.
According to a different story, Crocus was the companion of the messenger god Hermes. When Hermes accidentally killed his friend during a game of discus, he was so distraught that he transformed the young man's body into the flower.
See Also: Hermes
Written by: The Editors of GreekMythology.com. GreekMythology.com editors write, review and revise subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge based on their working experience or advanced studies.
For MLA style citation use: GreekMythology.com, The Editors of Website. "Crocus". GreekMythology.com Website, 01 Aug. 2015, https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Crocus/crocus.html. Accessed 23 March 2023.