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Cycnus & Phylius
(myth) Greece<

Cycnus

Demigod & human

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Cycnus, was the son of Apollo and Hyria. He was a very handsome young man, and very vain as well. Cycnus was especially cold hearted with those who loved him the most, so much so that all his friends and lovers grew tired of his tireless whims and abandoned him. All, that is, but one. Only one, Phylius remained loyal to vain demigod.

Cycnus ordered Phylius to perform several different tasks to demonstrate his love. First, Phylius had to kill a lion without using an iron weapon, then he had to capture ferocious man-eating birds, without killing them. Next, he had to lead a bull to the altar of Zeus with his own hands.

Phylius succeeded in all these tasks with courage and love, but, Cycnus had more requests. Phylius' patience was finally exhausted. He stopped indulging Cycnus tyranical whims and abandoned him. Cycnus now found himself alone.

He searched for friends everywhere, but no one would have anything to do with him. Desperate and depressed, he drowned himself in a lake, now called the Cycnean Lake. Seeing the death of her only son, his mother Hyria threw herself into the same lake. Apollo then transformed his wife and son into swans, whose shapes can now be recognized among the stars.

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