Dryope
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
- The mother of Amphissus by Apollo, Ov. M. 9, 331; 364 sq.—
- II The mother of Tarquitus by Faunus, Verg. A. 10, 551.
(Δρυόπη), a daughter of king Dryops, or, according to others, of Eurytus. While she tended the flocks of her father on Mount Oeta, she became the playmate of the Hamadryades, who taught her to sing hymns to the gods and to dance. On one occasion she was seen by Apollo, who, in order to gain possession of her, metamorphosed himself into a tortoise. The nymphs played with the animal, and Dryope took it into her lap. The god then changed himself into a serpent, which frightened the nymphs away, so that he remained alone with Dryope. Soon after she married Andraemon, the son of Oxylus, but she became, by Apollo, the mother of Amphissus, who, after he had grown up, built the town of Oeta, and a temple to Apollo. Once, when Dryope was in the temple, the Hamadryades carried her off and concealed her in a forest, and in her stead there was seen in the temple a well and a poplar. Dryope now became a nymph, and Amphissus built a temple to the nymphs, which no woman was allowed to approach. (Ov. Met. 9.325, &c.; Ant. Lib. 32; Steph. Byz. s. v. Δρυόπη.) Virgil (Aen. 10.551) mentions another personage of this name. [L.S]
(Δρυόπη). The daughter of King Dryops and beloved by Apollo, who, in order to get possession of her, changed himself into a tortoise. Dryopé took the creature into her lap, whereupon it became a serpent. This sudden transformation frightened away the companions of Dryopé, thus leaving her alone with the god, who then accomplished his purpose. Soon after she married Andraemon, but became by Apollo the mother of Amphissus, who founded the town of Oeta and built there a shrine to his father. Dryopé was at last carried off by the wood-nymphs and became one of them. See Ovid, Met. ix. 331.