Clytie (Oceanid)

Clytia (Greek Κλυτία, also Klytie, latin Clytia ) is in Greek mythology, one of the 3000 daughters of Oceanus and his sister Tethys ( Hesiod, Theogony 352).

Clytia emerged with its own history for the first time to the Romans. This also explains the equating of the sun god (Greek Helios ) with Phoebus / Apollo or Sol.

Clytia in Ovid

Ovid in his Metamorphoses mentioned Clytia, Book 4, 206-270, the identity with the Greek Clytia is by no means assured. Apollo spurned the love in him Clytia because Leukothoe. Then, out of jealousy and anger reported Clytia Leukothoes strict father Orchamos of the affair. Since Apollo had impregnated Leukothoe, buried Orchamos them to redeem the shame alive. After that Clytia went again to Apollo and was looking to win his love again; but the betrayal had hardened his heart against them.

Clytia now sat naked on a rock down, ate and drank nothing, staring into the sun and lamented their misfortune. After nine days of her grief became yellow and brown colors: it was in a "sunflower" turns that always turned her bloom after Apollo's sun chariot.

Today's sunflowers of the genus Helianthus, however, were unknown in ancient times and were only introduced in 1530 from America. Therefore, the Ovidsche story says most likely the " solstices " whose name ( heliotrope ) is literally translated from the Greek, because they striking turn toward the sun. With a much lower probability nor the marigolds might come into question. Ovid writes in his Metamorphoses (Book 4, 262-269 ) that Clytia partly in one, bloodless herb ' ( exsangues [ ... ] in Herbas ) transformed, partly in the one, violets extremely similar ' Flower ( violaeque simillimus [ ... ] flos ). There are therefore probably meant subgenera of the solstices, which is available both with purple and whitish flowers.

Marble bust

In the British Museum is an ancient female marble bust, which has become very popular by replicas. Because people believed the wreath, out of which grows the bust, would be composed of sunflower petals together, the sculpture was named Klytias that Ovid transformed into a sunflower admirer of Apollo. However, presents the work is a portrait bust of the Roman period, and probably shows Antonia Minor, daughter of Mark Antony and Octavia Minor.