MYRRHA'S DECEIT

King Cinyras' daughter Myrrha was the most beautiful maiden in Syria and the constant procession of princely suitors for her hand led to her wisdom being outweighed by her conceit, and before long she considered herself equal to Aphrodite of whose love-life she was envious.

Myrrha's vain dreams were the scorn of the godess, who granted her desire but willed her to become victim of her own wiles by falling in love with the King, and trickidng him into an incestuous affair while in his cups.

The mischievous tongues of some demi-gods soon echoed the news to the King's ears and on learning of Myrrha's deceit he flew into a rage vowing to take her life, but Aphrodite thwarted the King's murderous intent by changing her into a tree-nymph just as the sword was about to fall.

In due time the tree opened to reveal Adonis who was taken by Aphrodite to Persephone the Queen of Night, by whom he would be cared for till he came of age. But when that time came Persephone was unwilling to release the handsome Adonis with whom she was in love, and so the wrangling sisters submitted their rival claims to the judgement of their father Zeus. Zeus decreed that Adonis should spend four months of every year withy Aphrodite, four months of every year with Persephone and the remaining four months with whosoever he pleased. King Cinyras of Syria was Aphrodite's favourite before she loved his son Adonis.
- DANIEL

A classical story of competition between two beautiul goddesses involving deceit and enticement. The results are novel and convoluted....as human drama often are. Beautiful Myrrha competing with Aprodites, the goddess of love, falls victim to her own wiles. Revenge by her father, the king, results in her transformation to an inaminate object(the Myrrh tree) only to reveal her offspring Adonis,who is sought by both Persephone and Aphrodite.
- LJO