A Hit and Some Misses of Eros Trivia Quiz

Answer: A snake bite

Orpheus was determined to get Euridice back, so he pleaded with the gods of the underworld to give her back her life. He played for them and they were so moved by his music they agreed to give Euridice back to him on the condition he didn't look at her until the were both in the land of the living.

He could not resist sneaking a glance back at her face as they were ascending into it, so Euridice was recalled to the realm of Hades. Orpheus was inconsolable.

Answer: A sculpture

He sculpted a maid who was so beautiful and perfect he fell in love with her, and asked Aphrodite if she'd bring her to life. Aphrodite granted his request. Fortunately, the maid returned his affection upon animation. They had children together.

Answer: Artemis

After her defilement, Callisto continued to follow Artemis, but when the flock disrobed to wash in a river, she was revealed to be pregnant. Artemis banished her and admonished her not to sully the stream with her shameful reproduction. Then Hera turned her into a bear.

Answer: Distracting Hera with intriguing stories

Hera's favourite pastime was trying to catch Zeus in flagrante delicto with his lovers (and of course meting out fair punishment to the minxes), and Echo's entrancing tales prevented her from doing it - one too many times.

Echo tried to attract Narcissus, but could only echo his own words and he dismissed her. Nemesis, responding to Echo's prayers, cursed Narcissus. He espied the most beautiful figure in a pond. Then he and Echo both mourned his fate as he died in pursuit of himself.

Answer: Romeo and Juliet

Thisbe arrived at the grave first. Seeing a lion which was bloody from gorging on oxen, and thirsty, she fled and dropped her veil, and hid in a cave. The lion (having drunk and returned to the grave) attacked the veil, so when Pyramus arrived, he assumed the lion had eaten Thisbe and stabbed himself.

Thisbe emerged from the cave and likewise killed herself. The mulberries turned from white to red in answer to Thisbe's prayer for the gods to commemorate the lovers' blood.

Answer: Ares

Hephaestus put a net finer than cobwebs on their bed and invited the pantheon to shame them. The gods dutifully laughed, but the lovers inspired so much admiration in each that they laughed at Hephaestus in their hearts.

Answer: Join boy with nymph forever

Salmacis had been expected Artemis' hunting cult as her sisters did, but she preferred to laze and preen. She is the only nymph rapist in Greek mythology.

Salmacis and Hermaphroditus were metamorphized into a single person with characteristics of both sexes.

Answer: She had a gadfly pursue Io

Io was a mortal priestess of Hera's. She fled the gadfly as it constantly stung her. When she reached Egypt, Zeus made her human again and she gave birth to Epaphus and Keroessa.

Answer: Enamouring Poseidon

Medusa was so fair and had such lovely golden locks that she had many very ardent admirers. Poseiden was just ravished by her, so Athena turned her hair into snakes and made her eyes lethal to look into.

Answer: A swift greyhound and a spear that never missed its target

Ovid conflated Hermes' son Cephalus with Cephalus son of Deion; in "Metamorphoses", Cephalus loves hunting with the spear and often calls happily to the wind, Aura, to refresh him in the woods. When Procris discovers his carefree habit, she suspects he has a lover, so she follows him covertly one day; he mistakes her for a beast and throws his spear at her.