SexViolHist Bib: Cases: Mythological Cases: Rape of Hermaphroditus

»In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus (/hərˌmæfrəˈdaɪtəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἑρμαφρόδιτος, [hermapʰródi:tos]) was a child of Aphrodite and Hermes. According to Ovid, he was born a remarkably beautiful boy whom the naiad Salmacis attempted to rape and prayed to be united with forever. A god, in answer to her prayer, merged their two forms into one and transformed him into a hermaphrodite. His name is compounded of his parents' names, Hermes and Aphrodite.« -- More information: Wikipedia

Attempted Rape by Salmacis

I n f o r m a t i o n

»Salmacis (Ancient Greek: Σαλμακίς) was an atypical Naiad nymph of Greek mythology. She rejected the ways of the virginal Greek goddess Artemis in favour of vanity and idleness. (...)
Salmacis' attempted rape of Hermaphroditus is narrated in the fourth book of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
One day, Hermaphroditus went swimming in his pool. Upon seeing him, Salmacis was struck with love for him, approached him and confessed her love to him; but he was not interested, and demanded she leave. She did so, but her passion took her back, unable to stay away from him.[1] As Hermaphroditus emerged from the pool, she threw herself at him, and forcibly kissed him as he tried to escape. Salmacis then cried to the gods and begged them to let them stay together forever; and the gods answered by fusing them together for all time, into a deity that had both male and female parts. She thus becomes one with Hermaphroditus and he curses the fountain to have the same effect on every other person who would bathe there.« -- More information: Wikipedia

K e y w o r d s

I. Chronological Index: Ancient History: Ancient Greece | II. Geographical Index: European History: Greek History | III. Topical Index: Types: General: Attempted Rape

B i b l i o g r a p h y

Representations: Literary Texts: Ovid