Daphne is a figure of Greek mythology, usually described as a nymph and daughter of a river god, whose name means "laurel." In the best-known version, told by Ovid, Apollo is struck by Cupid's arrow and pursues her; to escape him she prays for help and is transformed into a laurel tree, which Apollo then adopts as his sacred plant.
Daphne at a glance
| Name meaning | Greek daphne, "laurel" (bay laurel) |
|---|---|
| Type | Nymph (naiad) or mortal maiden, depending on the source |
| Father | River god Peneus (Thessaly) or Ladon (Arcadia); or King Amyclas |
| Pursuer | Apollo; in another version also Leucippus |
| Best-known source | Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book 1 |
| Famous artwork | Bernini, Apollo and Daphne (1622-1625), Galleria Borghese |
The Myth in Ovid
The most influential telling is in the first book of Ovid's Metamorphoses, completed around 8 CE. After killing the serpent Python, Apollo mocks Cupid's skill with the bow. Cupid takes revenge with two arrows: a golden one that kindles love, which strikes Apollo, and a leaden one that repels love, which strikes Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneus. Daphne, who wishes to remain unmarried like the goddess Diana, flees as Apollo pursues her.
As Apollo is about to catch her at the banks of her father's river, Daphne prays for her form to be changed. Her limbs grow heavy, bark encloses her, her hair becomes leaves and her arms branches, and she becomes a laurel tree. Apollo declares that since she cannot be his bride, the laurel will be his tree: it will crown victors and poets, and its leaves will remain forever green.
Other Versions
Greek sources give different genealogies. Daphne may be the daughter of Peneus in Thessaly, of the Arcadian river Ladon and Gaia, or of Amyclas, a king in Laconia. An earlier version preserved by Parthenius, and attributed to the historian Phylarchus, adds the mortal Leucippus, who loves Daphne and disguises himself as a girl to join her hunting companions. Apollo, jealous, causes the nymphs to bathe; Leucippus is discovered and killed. In some accounts Gaia rescues Daphne by taking her into the earth and producing the laurel in her place. Pausanias also records traditions of Daphne as a mountain nymph linked with an oracle of Earth at Delphi.
Scholars often read the myth as an aetiology, a story explaining why the laurel was sacred to Apollo, rather than as an ancient cult legend in its own right.
The Laurel and Apollo
The bay laurel was central to Apollo's worship. At the Pythian Games at Delphi, victors received laurel wreaths, and Apollo's priestess, the Pythia, was associated with laurel in ritual. A famous grove and sanctuary of Apollo known as Daphne stood near Antioch in Syria. The laurel crown later became a Roman symbol of triumph and the origin of the word "laureate," still used for honored poets and Nobel prize winners. Transformation of a person into a plant is a recurring motif in Greek myth, comparable to stories such as Attis and the pine, and it reflects an ancient sense that trees and places could be inhabited by spirits, discussed in the entry on animism.
Daphne in Art, Literature and Music
The moment of transformation fascinated artists. Gian Lorenzo Bernini's marble Apollo and Daphne (1622-1625), in the Galleria Borghese in Rome, captures her fingers sprouting leaves as Apollo reaches her. Painters including Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Nicolas Poussin and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo also depicted the scene. Petrarch played on the laurel (lauro) and the name of his beloved Laura.
In music, Dafne (1598) by Jacopo Peri, with a libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini, is often cited as the first opera, though its music is largely lost. Richard Strauss composed the opera Daphne (1938).
Modern Interpretations
Modern readers often see Daphne's story as a narrative of unwanted pursuit and of a young woman's resistance, and feminist critics have discussed how art has aestheticized her flight. Others focus on themes of chastity, the boundary between human and nature, and the price of divine desire. The myth remains one of the most widely retold episodes of Greek mythology, alongside hero stories such as that of Theseus.
Themes and Symbolism
The laurel of Daphne carries several symbolic meanings. Because it is evergreen, it suggests immortality and lasting fame, which is why it crowns victorious athletes, generals and poets. It was also associated with purification and prophecy: ancient writers mention laurel leaves in the rites of Apollo's oracle at Delphi, and laurel branches were used in purification ceremonies.
The story itself belongs to the wider Greek theme of metamorphosis, in which gods transform humans into animals, plants, stars or springs, often at a moment of crisis. Such stories explain features of the natural world while also exploring the fragile boundary between the human and the divine. In Daphne's case, the transformation is both a rescue and a loss: she escapes Apollo but gives up her human life.
Related entries
Frequently asked questions
Why did Daphne turn into a tree?
In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Apollo pursued Daphne after Cupid struck him with a golden arrow of love, while Daphne was struck with a leaden arrow that made her reject love. Unable to outrun him, she prayed to her father, a river god, and was transformed into a laurel tree.
What does the name Daphne mean?
Daphne is the ancient Greek word for the bay laurel tree. The myth explains how the laurel became sacred to Apollo, whose victors and poets were crowned with laurel wreaths. The name is still common today, and the plant genus Daphne takes its name from the same Greek word.
Who was Daphne's father?
Ancient sources disagree. Ovid and many later writers make her the daughter of Peneus, a river god of Thessaly. Other traditions name Ladon, a river of Arcadia, with Gaia as mother, or Amyclas, a king of Laconia, in which case Daphne was a mortal woman.
Sources and further reading
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.