Lyco and Orphe

Characters in Greek mythology

Lyco and Orphe (Ancient Greek: Λυκώ καὶ Ὄρφη) are two sisters from Greek mythology. Their story survives in the works of Maurus Servius Honoratus, a Latin grammarian of the early fifth century AD.

Family

They were the daughters of Amphithea and Dion, the queen and king of Laconia. They had a third sister named Carya.

Mythology

Once Apollo, the god of prophecy, paid a visit to Dion and his family. He was so well-received that he gave all three of Dion's daughters the gift of prophecy, under the condition that they would never betray the gods or seek after forbidden things. Later, Dionysus visited the family and fell in love with Carya, so that he visited again in order to see her. But Lyco and Orphe guarded Carya, and tried to prevent Dionysus from wooing her. Dionysus then reminded them of their promise to Apollo, and drove them mad. As the two sisters reached the top of Mount Taygetus in their raging madness, they were transformed into rocks.^[1]^[2]

References

^ Servius, Commentary on Virgil's Eclogues 8.29
^ Smith, s.v. Dion

Bibliography

Maurus Servius Honoratus, In Vergilii carmina comentarii. Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii carmina commentarii; recensuerunt Georgius Thilo et Hermannus Hagen. Georgius Thilo. Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1881. Online version available at perseus.tufts.
Smith, William (1873). John Murray (ed.). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. New-Street Square and Parliament Street, London: Spottiswoode and Co.

Metamorphoses in Greek mythology

Animals

Avian	Abas Acanthis Acanthus Acmon Aëdon Aegolius Aegypius Aëtos Aesacus Agrius and Oreius Agron Alcander Alcyone Alcyone and Ceyx Alcyonides Alectryon Anthus Antigone Argus Arne Sithonis Artemiche Ascalaphus Asteria Autonous Botres Bulis Byssa Caeneus Celeus Cerberus Chelidon Cinyras Clinis Combe Corone Ctesylla Cycnus of Aetolia Cycnus of Ares Cycnus of Colonae Cycnus of Liguria Daedalion Erinoma Erodius Eumelus Gerana Harpalyce Harpasus Harpe Hierax Hippodamia Hyperippe Hyria Ictinus Idas Ino Itys Iynx Laius Lelante Lycius Lycus Megaletor Meleagrids Memnonides Meropis Merops Minyades Munichus Neophron Nisus Nyctaea Nyctimene Oenoe Oenotropae Ortygius Pandareus Pelia Perdix Periphas Peristera Picus Pierides Phene Philaeus Philomela Pleiades Polyphonte Polytechnus Procne Rhexenor Schoeneus Scylla Tereus Timandra
Non-avian	Abas Actaeon Arachne Arcas Arge Aristaeus Ascalabus Atalanta Cadmus Calchus Callisto Cephissus Cerambus Cercopes Chelone Circe Curetes Cynosura Galanthis Gale Harmonia Hecuba Helice Hippomenes Io Lycaon Lycian peasants Lyncus Melanippe Melian nymphs Melissa Minyades Myia Myrmex Naïs Nerites Ocyrhoe Odysseus Pentheus Phalanx Phineus Phoenice Pompilus Taygete Theophane Tiresias Titanis Tithonus Tyrrhenian pirates Aethalides Alcimedon Dictys Epopeus Melas Medon Opheltes

Avian