Dryope (daughter of Dryops)
Greek mythological figure transformed into a poplar or lotus tree.
Dryope is a figure in Greek mythology, known as the daughter of Dryops, king of Oeta, or of Eurytus (and thus half-sister to Iole). She is primarily remembered for her relationship with Apollo, by whom she mothered Amphissus, and for the stories of her metamorphosis into a black poplar or a lotus tree.
- Born
- Unknown
- Died
- Unknown
- Field
- Greek mythology
- Nationality
- Greek
- Known for
- Mother of Amphissus by Apollo; metamorphosis into a tree
Lore & Background
According to Antoninus Liberalis, Apollo seduced Dryope by a trick. While she tended her father's flocks on Mount Oeta, she became a playmate of the hamadryads. Apollo turned himself into a tortoise, which the nymphs played with; when Dryope held the tortoise on her lap, Apollo transformed into a snake, scaring the nymphs away, and raped her. She later gave birth to Amphissus and married Andraemon, son of Oxylus. Amphissus built a temple to Apollo in Oeta, where Dryope served as priestess. The nymphs eventually took her, placing a poplar tree in her place and turning her into a nymph; two women who reported this were turned into fir trees.
In Ovid's version, Dryope was by a lake suckling Amphissus when she saw red lotus flowers, formerly the nymph Lotis. She picked a blossom, causing the tree to tremble and bleed. The blood touched her skin, and she began turning into a lotus tree. Her husband Andraemon heard her cries, and she warned him to care for their child and not pick flowers, and to tell Amphissus to call her his mother.
Reader's Guide
Dryope's significance lies in her dual metamorphosis narratives, which illustrate common themes in Greek mythology: divine intervention, punishment, and transformation. The accounts by Antoninus Liberalis and Ovid offer contrasting details—one involving a poplar tree and nymph status, the other a lotus tree and a slow, tragic change. These stories highlight the vulnerability of mortal women to gods and the natural world's role in myth. Dryope's legacy is preserved through these literary sources, which have influenced later artistic and literary depictions of metamorphosis. Her tale also connects to broader mythological cycles, such as those involving Apollo and the nymph Lotis, and serves as an example of how myths explain natural phenomena (e.g., the origin of trees). The ambiguity between the two versions reflects the fluidity of oral tradition and the multiple ways myths were adapted by different authors.
Did You Know?
- She mothered Amphissus by Apollo after Apollo tricked her by turning into a tortoise and then a snake.
- In one account, she was turned into a black poplar; in another, into a lotus tree.
- Two women who told of her disappearance were turned into fir trees by the nymphs.
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