Wreath Greco-Roman world, wreaths were used as an adornment that could represent a person’s occupation, rank, their achievements and status. The wreath that was commonly used was the laurel wreath. The use of this wreath comes from the Greek myth involving Apollo, Zeus’ son and the god of life and light, who fell in love with the nymph Daphne. When he pursued her she fled and asked the river god Peneus to help her. Peneus turned her into a laurel tree. From that day, Apollo wore a wreath of laurel on his head. Laurel wreaths became associated with what Apollo embodied;
Acanthis (mythology) Acanthis (mythology) In Greek mythology, Acanthis (Ancient Greek: Ἀκανθίς, "thornette") or Acanthyllis (Ancient Greek: Ἀκανθυλλίς) was the daughter of Hippodamia and Autonous and sister to Anthus, Erodius, Schoeneus and Acanthus. When their father's horses attacked Anthus out of hunger and ate him, Zeus and Apollo, out of pity for the grieving family, transformed them into birds. Acanthis thus became a thistle finch. In Antoninus Liberalis, "Metamorphoses", 7 recounts the whole story of Acanthis and her family's unfortunate fate:Autonous, son of Melaneus and Hippodamia, had as sons Erodius, Anthus, Schoeneus and Acanthus, with a daughter Acanthis to whom the gods granted