Acantha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Acanthus.

Acantha (Greek akantha, "thorny") was a minor character in Greek mythology. She was a nymph loved by Apollo, the sun god. In one version of the story, Acantha refused Apollo's advances and scratched his face when he tried to rape her. Apollo then turned her into an acanthus plant.[1] According to Encyclopedia Mythica, she was the guardian spirit of the acanthus "tree" after being turned into the "sun-loving herb" upon her death.[2] Another version features Acantha as a mortal man who returned Apollo's advances.[3] The matter of Acantha's identity is further confused by the fact that the acanthus plant is not a tree, but a shrub or bush, and therefore is unlikely to have had a nymph associated with it. This may simply indicate that it was perceived to be a tree at the time the myth was created.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Women in Greek Myths, "Acantha", accessed on 11 June 2006.
  2. ^ Encyclopedia Mythica, "Acantha", accessed 11 June 2006
  3. ^ OEDILF "Acantha"
 This article relating to a Greek deity is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.