Adonis in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Adonis

16 passages from 8 ancient authors that tell of Adonis, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Adonis, god of beauty and desire, was born to Myrrha and loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone. Read his birth, love dispute, and death. For the story in one place, read our article on Adonis.

Hesiod (1)

Hesiod, Fragments 1.19–29Agenor's line, Thebes and BoeotiaThese fragments give the children of Phoenix and Agenor, including Europa, Phineus and Adonis, and then the children of Niobe and the death of Oedipus at Thebes. The rest are brief notes on places and people of Boeotia, such as the river Cephisus, Arnae and Onchestus.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.14.1–8Cecrops, Athena and Poseidon, and the early kings of AthensCecrops, a son of the soil, is the first king of Attica, and in his reign Athena and Poseidon contend for the land and the gods award it to Athena. The section covers Cecrops's daughters, Cephalus, Cinyras and Adonis, the kings Cranaus, Amphictyon and Erichthonius (born from Hephaestus's seed), the gift of wine to Icarius and Erigone's death, and ends with Pandion and the story of Procne, Philomela and Tereus.

Theocritus (3)

Theocritus, Idylls 15.1–149Idyll 15: The Syracusan women at the Adonis festivalGorgo visits her friend Praxinoa, and the two women dress and push through the crowd to the palace of Ptolemy, where the festival of Adonis is held. A woman sings the hymn to Adonis. They go home, since Praxinoa's husband will want his dinner.
Theocritus, Idylls 30.1–32Idyll 30: The death of AdonisAphrodite sees Adonis lying dead and orders the Loves to bring the boar that killed him. The boar is bound and brought before her and swears that he never meant to hurt Adonis, but was mad to kiss his thigh. Aphrodite pities him and orders him loosed, and from that day he follows her.
Theocritus, Idylls 3.1–54Idyll 3: The goatherd's serenade to AmaryllisA goatherd sings outside the cave of Amaryllis, asking why she no longer looks out for him and offering her apples, a wreath, and a white goat with twin kids. He recalls Hippomenes, Melampus and Adonis, who won the ones they loved. He ends by saying that he will lie where he falls and let the wolves devour him, which will be sweet to her.

Aristophanes (1)

Aristophanes, Lysistrata 387–613Episode: the Magistrate confronts LysistrataA Magistrate, attended by Scythian archers, complains of women's wantonness and tries to break open the treasury with crowbars. Lysistrata and other women come out and beat off the archers, and she explains to him that the women will keep the money and so end the war, comparing the tangled affairs of the city to a skein of wool that women know how to untangle. The women dress him in a veil and give him a wool-basket, and then mock him with the preparations for his funeral.

Ovid (3)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.519–709Aphrodite and Adonis; Atalanta and HippomenesAdonis grows into a youth so beautiful that Aphrodite (Venus) herself, wounded by one of Eros' (Cupid's) arrows, falls in love with him and gives up heaven to be with him. She warns him to avoid dangerous beasts and tells him the tale of Atalanta, who would marry only the man who could beat her in a foot-race, the loser being killed. Hippomenes wins her with the help of Aphrodite, who gives him three golden apples to throw before her, and is later turned with Atalanta into a lion for profaning a temple of Cybele. Aphrodite ends her warning, and Adonis does not heed it.
Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.710–739The death of AdonisAdonis ignores Aphrodite's (Venus') warning and hunts a boar, which wounds him with its tusk, and he dies. Aphrodite, flying back in her chariot, finds him dying, sprinkles his blood with nectar, and from it grows the anemone, a short-lived flower.
Ovid, Metamorphoses 10.431–518Myrrha's flight and the birth of AdonisThe nurse, in the end, yields and promises to help her, and arranges for Myrrha to go to Cinyras' bed in the dark during the festival of Demeter (Ceres), when the queen is away. Myrrha visits her father night after night, until Cinyras, bringing a light, sees whom he has been with, and draws his sword. She flees, wandering through Arabia for nine months, and finally prays to the gods to be neither among the living nor the dead. She is changed into a myrrh tree, and from the tree, which weeps resin, the child Adonis is born.

Pausanias (1)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 9.41.1–7Chaeronea: the sceptre as the only work of Hephaestus, Amathus' necklace and unguentsPausanias argues that the sceptre of Agamemnon is the only genuine work of Hephaestus, setting aside the Lycian bowl and the chest of Eurypylus. He considers the necklace of Harmonia at Amathus, concluding from Homer's description that it is not the golden necklace of Eriphyle. He ends with Mount Petrachus above Chaeronea, where Cronus was said to be deceived with a stone, and with the unguents the city distils from lilies, roses, narcissus and iris.

Nonnus of Panopolis (5)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 42.322–437Book 42: Dionysos dreams of Beroe and reveals himselfDionysos falls asleep on anemone leaves and dreams of marrying Beroe, then wakes to find only emptiness. He hunts beside her father Adonis, and she hides her face from him. Appearing as a god before her, he tells his name and deeds and warns her of Poseidon's record, offering her praise instead of gold, but she stops her ears with her fingers.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 41.119–211Book 41: Eros is born at Beroe; the birth of BeroeMeadows and vines burst up around Aphrodite, and she gives birth to Eros, who leaps at once to her breast. The poet hails Beroe as nurse of cities and says she is also called Amymone. In a younger story Aphrodite bears her to Adonis with Hermes and Themis attending, the beasts rejoice, and Aphrodite foresees that a boar will bring Adonis' death.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 42.196–321Book 42: Pan's advice and Dionysos' failed wooingDionysos confides in the lovesick Pan, who advises him to feign modesty and indifference, praise Beroe's beauty above the goddesses', and win her by hints and silent gestures. Dionysos tries to woo her with words about vines, fields and harvest and offers to be her labourer, but she answers nothing. He then takes her hunting-net and pretends to admire it.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 3.0–130Book 3: Cadmos sails to Samothrace; Peitho leads himWith spring Cadmos puts to sea with his men and lands at a harbour, where the Corybants' dancing wakes the camp at dawn. As he goes toward Harmonia's house Peitho meets him in the form of a woman and wraps him in mist. A crow reproaches him for dawdling and predicts his wedding.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 41.0–118Book 41: Beroe, the oldest city, where Aphrodite first landedDionysos plants vines under Lebanon and roofs a grove for Adonis and Aphrodite. The poet invokes the Muses to sing the war of Poseidon and Dionysos over Amymone. He describes Beroe between mountain and sea, the first city of earth-sprung men, older than Zeus, and claims that Aphrodite, newly born from the foam, came ashore there and not at Cyprus.

Orpheus (attributed) (1)

Orpheus (attributed), Orphic Hymns 52–56Hymns 52-56: Trietericus, Amphietus Bacchus, Silenus and the Priestesses of Bacchus, Venus, AdonisThree more Dionysiac hymns address the triennial Bacchus, Amphietus Bacchus, who is called to rise with the nymphs, and Silenus, the Satyrs and the priestesses of Bacchus. Venus is hailed as the sea-born, laughter-loving queen, and Adonis as the best of daemons, who sinks into Tartarus and shines again in the heavens.