the story of pyramus and thisbe was written and published in 8 ad.
the story of pyramus and thisbe was written and published in 8 ad.
when was the story of pyramus and thisbe written?
published in 8 ad
ovid's is the oldest surviving version of the story, published in 8 ad, but he adapted an existing etiological myth. while in ovid's telling pyramus and thisbe lived in babylon and ctesias had placed the tomb of his imagined king ninus near that city, the myth probably originated in cilicia (part of ninus' babylonian empire) as pyramos is the historical greek name of the local ceyhan river. the metamorphosis in the primary story involves pyramus changing into this river and thisbe into a nearby spring. a 2nd-century mosaic unearthed near nea paphos on cyprus depicts this older version of the myth.
pyramus and thisbe
in ovid's "metamorphoses", pyramus and thisbe are two lovers in the city of babylon who occupy connected houses/walls, forbidden by their parents to be wed, because of their parents' rivalry. through a crack in one of the walls, they whisper their love for each other. they arrange to meet near ninus' tomb under a mulberry tree and state their feelings for each other. thisbe arrives first, but upon seeing a lioness with a mouth bloody from a recent kill, she flees, leaving behind her veil. when pyramus arrives he is horrified at the sight of thisbe's veil in which the lioness had torn and left traces of blood behind, as well as its tracks. assuming that a wild beast has killed her, pyramus kills himself, falling on his sword, a typical babylonian way to commit suicide, and in turn splashing blood on the white mulberry leaves. pyramus' blood stains the white mulberry fruits, turning them dark. thisbe returns, eager to tell pyramus what had happened to her, but she finds pyramus' dead body under the shade of the mulberry tree. thisbe, after a brief period of mourning, stabs herself with the same sword. in the end, the gods listen to thisbe's lament, and forever change the colour of the mulberry fruits into the stained colour to honour the forbidden love.
pyramus and thisbe