CLYTIE (oceanid of Greek mythology)
Divine power · Oceanid of Greek mythology
Clytie was one of the holy company of daughters born from Ocean and Tethys, belonging to a group of nymphs who serve the earth and deep waters.1 Her skin turned pale and plant-like, with a livid paleness that turned part of her color into that of a bloodless plant, though some redness remained.2 Her hair was disheveled and unadorned, and her limbs were rooted fast in the ground, with a flower very like a violet concealing her face.2
The Sun did not love Clytie, choosing Leucothoë instead, yet she longed for his embraces despite being despised by him.3 After the Sun ended their relationship, Clytie stopped seeing him, pining away in intense passion that made her loathe other nymphs.2 In her grief, she revealed the secret affair between the Sun and her rival to her father.4
She sat on the bare ground day and night, surviving only on dew and her own tears for nine days without water or food.2 Constantly turning her face to follow the Sun's movement, she did not raise herself from the ground even as her body changed.2
The Sun dried the sand with his rays to allow her face to emerge from the heavy heap of sand that had covered her.4 Her buried features were given a passage to put forth from the earth, and a violet-like flower grew to conceal her face as her limbs became firmly rooted.4,2
Despite her transformation, Clytie retains her passion and continues to turn toward the Sun though held fast by a root.2 The Harpies handed her over to the Furies, while Aphrodite left to secure a happy marriage for her and the other girls.5
The codex facts behind this entry
Clytie is identified as one of the daughters born from Ocean and Tethys. The Theogony ll. 346-370
Appearance
Her skin turned pale and plant-like, with some redness remaining. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 (3)
In the myths
She is described as playing with dice in Polygnotus's painting. Pausanias 10.30.2 The Harpies handed her over to the Furies. Pausanias 10.30.2 Clytie stopped seeing the sun god after he ended their relationship. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 (3) She pined away and loathed other nymphs due to her intense passion. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 (3) She constantly turned her face to follow the sun god's movement. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 (3) She fasted for nine days, surviving only on dew and her own tears. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 (3) She sat on bare ground day and night with disheveled hair. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 (3) Clytie longed for the Sun's embraces despite being despised by him. Ovid Met. 4.167-233 (2) Clytie revealed the secret affair between the Sun and her rival to her father. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 The Sun dried the sand with his rays to allow her face to emerge. Ovid Met. 4.234-270
Fate
Aphrodite left to secure a happy marriage for her and the other girls. Pausanias 10.30.2 She was covered by a heavy heap of sand after being buried. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 Her buried features were given a passage to put forth from the earth. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 Her limbs became rooted firmly in the ground, and a violet-like flower grew to conceal her face. Ovid Met. 4.234-270 (3)
