BYBLIS (mortal princess of Miletus)

Byblis developed a romantic passion for her brother instead of natural sibling affection.⁴ She gave her brother frequent embraces and kisses that were not typical of siblings.^4,5 She began dressing up to appear beautiful when visiting her brother.⁴ She preferred her brother to call her by her name rather than sister.⁴ While sleeping, she dreamed of embracing her brother and blushed during the dream.⁴ She struggled to suppress her love and attempted to cure herself of Eros's influence.⁵

Byblis wrote a letter to her brother Caunus confessing her romantic passion for him.^5,6 She instructed a male servant to deliver it.^5,6 The tablets slipped from her hands and fell to the ground.⁶ She interpreted the falling tablets as a bad omen but sent them anyway.⁶ She sealed the letter with a signet ring wetted by her tears.⁶ She felt shame and spoke in timorous tones.⁶ Her tongue uttered words with difficulty, striking the air with accents.⁶

Upon hearing of her brother's refusal, Byblis turned pale and felt an icy chill.⁶ Her frantic passion returned after her initial shock and alarm subsided.⁶ She abandoned her native land to pursue her fleeing brother.¹ She wandered through the lands of the Carians, Leleges, and Lycia.¹ Lelegeian Nymphs tried to lift her up and calm her intense passion.² She publicly declared her forbidden desires for her brother.¹

Byblis stopped following her beloved and collapsed onto the hard ground.² She tore green herbs with her nails while lying on the ground.² She wept continuously, watering the grass with her tears.² The Naiads created a channel beneath her tears that would never dry up.² Byblis dissolved in her tears and was transformed into a fountain.² The resulting fountain flows beneath a gloomy oak in certain valleys.² The spring Biblis is located in Miletus.^3,7 Byblis is associated with a sweet fountain.⁸ Poets have sung about the love associated with the spring Biblis.⁹