The Story of Narcissus and Echo

The complete Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo: the cursed nymph who could only repeat the words of others, the beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection, and the transformation that left only a flower and a voice. Retold from Ovid with clear explanations for new readers. Table of Contents Myth at a Glance Tradition: Ancient Greek (best known through Roman poetry) Main Figures: Narcissus, Echo, Nemesis, Tiresias Themes: Unrequited love • Self-absorption • The power and limits of speech • Divine punishment • Transformation Setting: The mountains and clear pools of the Greek countryside I n the Roman poet Ovid’s great collection of transformation stories there is a tale of a voice that cannot speak for itself and a beauty that cannot love anything outside itself. The story of Narcissus and Echo has become one of the most enduring myths of classical antiquity, giving everyday language the words “narcissism” and “echo.” It is a narrative of longing, rejection, and the strange ways …