1. Eight Brief Tales of Lovers
Jessica Hair
Bradley Gaines

2. Pyramus and Thisbe Lovers from a very young age
Longed to marry, but were forbidden
Finally one day agreed to meet that night at the Tomb of Ninus, under a tall mulberry tree full of snow-white berries
While waiting for Pyramus, Thisbe spots a lioness and fled from the tree dropping her cloak in the process
Pyramus shows up and sees the bloodstained shreds of the cloak and the tracks of the lioness

3. Pyramus and Thisbe Pyramus came to the conclusion that Thisbe was dead
Knowing he could not live without Thisbe, he plunged his sword into his side, his blood dying the berries red
Thisbe comes back to find Pyramus dying under the tree
She finds his sword fallen from his hand
Knowing he killed himself for her, Thisbe plunged the sword into her heart
The lovers blood staining the berries of the mulberry tree

4. Orpheus and Eurydice
Orpheus, a great mortal musician, savior of the heroes, and most importantly, a lover
Lived a simple, careless life, until he met Eurydice
She couldn’t resist the power of his song and they got married
Not long after the ceremony, Eurydice was stung by a viper and died, and Orpheus was overwhelmed with grief
He journeyed down to the underworld to save her
At the sound of his lyre all that vast multitude were charmed to stillness

5. Orpheus and Eurydice No one under his spell could resist him anything
They gave Eurydice back to him on one condition: he couldn’t look at her until they reached the upper world
As they made it to the top, he turned too soon and in an instant she was gone
He tried to go back down and get her but was not allowed in the same way – the only way in was death
Maenads in a frenzy, ripped the singer to shreds and placed his limbs in a tomb at the foot of Mt. Olympus
To this day, the nightingales sing sweetly there

6. Ceyx and Alcyone These two loved each other and were never apart
A time came when Ceyx had to make a long journey across the sea
Knowing all the dangers, she begged him not to go
The ship sank and he died
Alcyone knew something happed and she went to the shore where off in the water she sees his dead body
Instead of sinking into the waves she was flying over them, as she changed into a bird

7. Pygmalion and Galatea
Pygmalion was a woman hater, but the statue he made and devoted all his genius to was that of a woman
He fell deeply in love with this woman
At the feast day of Venus, he dared to ask the goddess only that he find a maiden like his statue
Venus turned the statue into a real human woman and even graced their marriage herself with her presence
All we know that happened after this is that he named her Galatea and their son Paphos

8. Baucis and Philemon
One day, Jupiter and Mercury descend to earth in disguise in order to test the hospitality of the people
No one is kind to them except an old couple, Baucis and Philemon, who are very poor
Revealing themselves, Jupiter and Mercury drown the rest of Phrygia’s inhabitants in a flood and offer Baucis and Philemon any wish they desire

9. Baucis and Philemon
Baucis and Philemon merely ask never to live apart from one another
The two live to a very old age, when the gods transform them into two trees –a linden and an oak-growing out of a single trunk

10. Endymion
Endymion is a handsome young shepherd loved by the moon, Selene
Selene casts a magic sleep over him so that she can visit him whenever she wants
Night after night she visits him and covers him with her kisses
Although her passion only brings her a burden of pain as he cannot return the love back

11. Daphne Daphne is a beautiful nymph that Apollo loves
She runs away from him but he pursues her all the way to the waters of her father, the river god Peneus
Daphne finds her arms harden and twist as father turns her into a laurel tree
Apollo proclaims that the laurel will forever be his sacred tree and that they will be joined together wherever songs are sung and stories are told

12. Alpheus and Arethusa
Arethusa, a beautiful young Greek huntress and a follower of Artemis would have nothing to do with men
One day after an exhausting hunt, she came to a crystal clear stream and decided to take a swim
Frightened when she feels something in the water, runs into the forest where the voice of the unknown told her that he was Alpheus, the god of the river
Arethusa called out to Artemis, and the goddess answered by changing her into a spring