Narcissus: The Most Well-Known Greek Myth

539 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Modern greek mythology

The myth of Narcissus is one of the most well-known Greek Myths. It is unique because it strongly suggests the idea of the fundamental solitude of the human being. We can find two versions of this myth: the first is the Greek version as narrated by Conon the Greek mythographer: “"Ameinias was a very determined but fragile youth. When he was cruelly spurned by Narkissos (Narcissus), he took his sword and killed himself by the door, calling on the goddess Nemesis to avenge him. As a result when Narkissos saw the beauty of his form reflected in a stream he fell deeply in love with himself. In despair and believing that he had rightly earned this curse for the humiliation of Ameinias, he slew himself. From his blood sprang the flower."” and Lucian of Samosata in his Dialogues of the Dead: “"[Menippos, arriving in the underworld, asks the god Hermes to show him the great beauties of myth.] Menippos : Where are all the beauties, Hermes? Show me round; I am a new-comer. Hermes : I am busy, Menippos. But look over there to your right, and you will see Hyakinthos (Hyacinthus), Narkissos …show more content…

Narcissus inherited his mother‘s great beauty, so his parents were worried about his future life so they went to prophet Tiresias who predicted that he will only live until he will not know his own image. At the age of sixteen, Narcissus gained the love of all young men and women, who saw him and admired his beauty. Narcissus, who wanted to be alone, pushed Nymph Echo, who was a victim of Juno, and was deprived of personal speech, only repeating the last sound of the voice of others. Another nymph asked Nemesis to punish Narcissus: when the latter went on refreshment at a spring, he saw his reflection in the water and falls in love with this splendid being. From that moment we have two contradictory versions: according to the one, he thought that this aquatic being was a

Show More
Related

  • Greek Virtues In The Odyssey

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout its history, strong values have stood at the core of Greek culture. Ancient Greeks placed a focus on a balance of mind and body. Citizens were expected to adhere to three main Greek virtues; these being respect for the body, respect for the gods, and hospitality. At times, these virtues were not upheld, usually resulting in what they believed to be punishment from the gods. Examples of this can be seen in the epic, The Odyssey, authored by Homer. Throughout the poem, a repeated disregard for the ancient Greek values teaches readers a fundamental principle of life--consequences follow poor decisions.

    Read More

  • What it is to be Human in The Odyssey

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Odyssey, Homer contrasts Odysseus and his native island of Ithaka with other characters and places that are perceived to be superhuman and subhuman as well as with the less than fully human. Throughout the course of this paper, you will be introduced to a vast number of characters and several circumstances will be examined in order to answer the question of what it is to be human and fully human. Up until the time Telemakhos leaves to find news of his father, he is viewed as nave and child-like by the suitors and his own mother, even though he is in his late teens. This lack of recognition can be attributed to Telemakhos’s poor choices, or lack of choices early in the epic. While Telemakhos remained loyal to a father he has never known, without Athena’s assistance, he would have done absolutely nothing about the suitors.

    Read More

  • Thucydides: Fear, Honor, And Interest

    273 Words  | 1 Pages

    Thucydides was right to claim that all wars can be explained by Fear, Honor, and Interest. All Wars are related to the three characteristics as stated by Dr. Nation (Dr. Nation video). The Athenians thought process was that the weak would be ruled by the strong and that was the nature of conflict (Strassler p. 43). Looking at the Peloponnesian war itself will illustrate how fear, honor and interest were involved with how this war developed. The initial unnamed Athenian that made that statement was probably using it to deter war with Sparta when it mostly incited the war (Dr. Nation Video). The Athenians wanted to maintain and sustain their city state but also expand it. They were expanding through their alliances and this is what invoked the

    Read More

  • Jealousy In The Odyssey

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book The Odyssey the character Odysseus goes to fight in the Trojan War. The war has ended, but King Odysseus never returns back home. Since the King has been away, his home is being invaded by suitors. Prince Telemakhos, son of Odysseus, wants to find his father. The Prince knows he cannot go on this journey alone. He needs help, so Telemakhos decides to give a speech to the men of Ithaka. Unfortunately, Telemakhos cannot convince the men enough.

    Read More

  • Foreshadowing and Duality in Ovid’s take on Spurned Love: The Vengeance For Vanity

    1668 Words  | 4 Pages

    In many of the tales of the Metamorphoses and other poems from Ovid, most notably the Heroides there is a recurring theme of rejected love. Thus in the poem of Narcissus and Echo, Ovid recycles this theme once again. The story speaks of Echo an Oread a (mountain nymph), who falls in love with the fair Narcissus, but through his pride he rejects her. Sadly, this tragic love story ends tragically for both characters. Ovid emphasises the motif of revenge for spurned love, by having Echo parallel the experiences of Narcissus. The combination of these two mythological characters is used by Ovid to explain the protagonist’s self obsession and vanity; therefore the two contrast each other. ...

    Read More

  • Echo Personality Disorder

    1738 Words  | 4 Pages

    These traits -choosing significant relationships where love can never be satisfactorily consumated, and the tendency to mirror significant others- were motivating features for choosing the term Echo Personality Disorder. In Greek mythology Echo was the lover of Narcissus. In this myth Echo, a forest nymph, falls in love with the egocentric youth Narcissus, and when he shows clear signs of rejecting her she persists in her attatchement, and will not be moved from her aim. She finally satisfies herself with the masochistic task of echoing back to him all that he says. This too is a central feature of EPD behaviour in relationships, where the individual will mirror, echo, and compliment another at the expense of their own self-worth and dignity. This echoing behaviour, though, does not exhaust the mythological potential of Echo, even if commentators on the myth narrow their descriptions to this single episode with Narcissus. Echo also has relations with Zeus, Hera, Pan, and Gaia, which have a different coloration to those she has with Narcissus, and has many friends in the form of other forest nymphs -"sisters" as we would call them today; attesting to the complexity we find within the Echo personality constellation.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis: "Inherit the Wind"

    1538 Words  | 4 Pages

    Classified as part of the Dramatic Personality Disorder, a Narcissistic Personality Disorder is based on the extremity of self-admiration. The origin of the specific personality disorder comes from the Greek root word “narcissism,” which is based on Greek mythology of Narcissus who was a man that fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. The cause of the illness is unknown, however professional mental health doctors believe the condition may be due to how a child was raised. When still in the adolescent years, excessive unconditional or an insufficient amount of love from the parents may be the cause of the disorder. Early signs of the mental illness can be spotted by adulthood. The majority of the people who are diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder show symptoms such as being conceited and garrulous by exaggerating achievements and goals that are unrealistic while ...

    Read More

  • Narcissism In Zeus And Hera

    1057 Words  | 3 Pages

    The narcissism and derogation begins with Zeus and Callisto. Simpson begins the telling Zeus and Callisto’s relationship by informing the reader that Callisto hunted with Artemis and had promised to remain a virgin, but Zeus “fell in love with her” and raped her and did so in the form of Artemis (Simpson 167-168).

    Read More

  • Arrogance of Greek Heroes

    1441 Words  | 3 Pages

    Often readers will criticize the champions of classical and medieval epics for egotism. Critics cite examples from the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and Beowulf of conceit and egocentric behavior. Odysseus, Aeneas, and Beowulf display a well-known arrogance befitting their accomplishments. The motivation for this arrogance, to complete these tasks, to perform these feats, is often over-generalized to the point of inaccuracy and confusion. One must not let such misinterpretations interrupt the humanization of these characters. Through the examination of the desires and behavior of these epic heroes, we can discover an underlying need for recognition or honor. In classical and medieval western epics, the hero’s desire to complete a given quest is fueled by their desire to gain or maintain honor or fame.

    Read More

  • The Collective Unconscious: A Psychological Analysis

    8692 Words  | 18 Pages

    From the analysis of the narcissistic conditions, knowledge of the structure of the ego and of the separate factors from which it is built has resulted. From the analysis of the maniacal delusion of

    Read More

  • Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Treatment

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    Through observation of symptoms and examination of life occurrences, it is clear that Mr. Z exhibits the characteristics of narcissism. He has a mother that relied upon him as her self-object throughout his childhood and into his early adult years. This provided conflict in that Mr. Z needed his mother as his own self-object, and due to her selfish role-reversal, he did not receive the mirroring necessary to develop a healthy, strong self-structure. S...

    Read More

  • Social Media is Not the Mother of Narcissism

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    Firstly, what is exactly narcissism? The word ‘narcissism’ was derived from an ancient Greek myth of Narcissus. Narcissus was depicted as a handsome young man who adored his looks very much. Many young maidens fell in love with him but he criticizes them for being too ugly for him. One day, he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water. However, he accidentally drowned himself as he tried to touch his reflection. Hence, the word ‘narcissism’ is usually depicted as a personality that reflects excessive of self-love on oneself. Individuals who are narcissistic are usually described as somebody who is selfish, snobbish or proud. This is because narcissistic individual processes information obtained differently than others. They believe that they deserve more than others since they think they are more superior in every aspect. Due to their sense of grandiosity, they will do anything in order t...

    Read More

  • Comparing the Myth in Ovid’s Echo and Narcissus and Wilde’s Dorian Gray

    3138 Words  | 7 Pages

    The prophet Tiresias in Ovid’s "Echo and Narcissus" can be compared to Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Gray in that all play a role in determining the protagonists’ fate. Tiresias enigmatically determines Narcissus’ fate by revealing that Narcissus will "live to see ripe old age...If he never knows himself" (Hendricks 93). In foreseeing the boy’s future, the prophet acts as a sort of father figure to Narcissus, whose real father is absent from his life. Narcissus cannot escape from Tiresias’ prophecy, and when he gains knowledge of his beauty, or "knows himself," Narcissus is plagued by self-love which destroys him. Thus, the prophet influences the boy’s fut...

    Read More

  • Dorian Gray Greek Mythology

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    This myth also parallels with the story of Narcissus and Echo. Both Narcissus and Adonis are troubled with sexuality, therefore illustrating Dorian’s relationship with Sibyl. Adonis avoids Venus and the myth suggests that such behaviour leads to death.

    Read More

  • The Psychology of King Oedipus

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    Oedipus Rex, an ancient Greek tragedy authored by the playwright Sophocles, includes many types of psychological phenomena. Most prominently, the myth is the source of the well-known term Oedipal complex, coined by psychologist Sigmund Freud in the late 1800s. In psychology, “complex” refers to a developmental stage. In this case the stage involves the desire of males, usually ages three to five, to sexually or romantically posses their mother, and the consequential resentment of their fathers. In the play, a prince named Oedipus tries to escape a prophecy that says he will kill his father and marry his mother, and coincidentally saves the Thebes from a monster known as the Sphinx. Having unknowingly killed his true father Laius during his escape, he marries the widowed queen of Thebes, his mother Jocasta. Many events in the story should lead to suspicion of their marriage, but out of pride and ignorance Oedipus stubbornly refuses to accept his fate. Together, these sins represent the highest taboos of Greek society, revealed by Socphocles’s depiction of the already pervasive story. Before the Thebian plays, the myth centered more around Oedipus’s journey of self-awareness; meanwhile, Sophocles shows Oedipus’s struggles with his inevitable desire toward his mother throughout these stages of psychological development.

    Read More

More about Narcissus: The Most Well-Known Greek Myth

Open Document