The wife of King Amphion of Thebes, Niobe, had seven sons and seven daughters. The daughter of Tantalus was proud of her children. Her children were as beautiful as young gods. The gods gave happiness, wealth and beautiful children to Niobe, but the daughter of Tantalus was not grateful to them.
One day, the daughter of the blind soothsayer Tiresias, prophesying to Manto, walking through the streets of the seven gates of Thebes, called all Theban women to make sacrifices to Latona and her twin children: the golden-haired, far-sighting Apollo and the virgin Artemis. Obedient to Manto's call, the Theban women went to the altars of the gods, decorating their heads with laurel wreaths. Only Niobe, proud of her power and the happiness sent to her by the gods, did not want to go make sacrifices to Latona.
The Theban women were confused by Niobe's words, full of pride. But they still made sacrifices. The women of Thebes humbly prayed to the great Latona not to be angry.
The goddess Latona heard Niobe's arrogant speeches. She called her children, Apollo and Artemis, and, complaining about Niobe, said:
“The proud daughter of Tantalus has seriously insulted me, your mother.” She doesn't believe that I'm a goddess! Niobe does not recognize me, although I am second only to the great wife of Zeus, Hera, in power and glory. Will you, children, not take revenge for this insult? After all, if you leave Niobe without revenge, then people will stop honoring me as a goddess and will destroy my altars. After all, the daughter of Tantalus insulted you too! She equates you, the immortal gods, with her mortal children. She is as arrogant as her father Tantalus!
The archer Apollo interrupted his mother:
- Oh, finish quickly! Don't say anything more! After all, with your complaints you are delaying punishment!
- Will! Don't talk! - the angry Artemis exclaimed.
Shrouded in a cloud, the angry brother and sister quickly rushed from the top of Kinta[1] to Thebes. Golden arrows rattled ominously in their quivers. They rushed to the seven gates of Thebes. Apollo stopped invisible on a flat field near the city walls, where Theban youths were practicing war games. When the far-reaching Apollo, shrouded in a cloud, stood at the Theban walls, Niobe's two sons, Ismenes and Sipylus, rode on hot horses, dressed in purple cloaks. Suddenly Ismenes screamed and Apollo’s golden arrow pierced his chest. He released the golden reins and fell to the ground dead. Sipil heard the menacing ringing of the bowstring of Apollo; he wants to escape on a fast horse from a terrible danger. Sipil rushes at full speed across the field, just as a sailor rushes across the sea, with all the sails on a ship, escaping from a menacing cloud. A deadly arrow overtook Niobe's son and pierced him in the back, right at the neck. Niobe's sons, Faidim and Tantalus, fought with their arms tightly wrapped around each other. An arrow flashed in the air and pierced both of them. They fell with a groan. Death simultaneously extinguished the light of life in their eyes, and at the same time they breathed their last. Their brother Alpenor hurries to them, he wants to raise them, he hugs their cold bodies, but Apollo’s arrow pierced deep into his heart, and he fell lifeless on the bodies of his brothers. Damasichthon was struck by Apollo in the thigh near the knee: the son of Niobe wants to tear out the golden arrow from the wound, suddenly another arrow pierces his throat with a whistle. The last of Niobe’s sons, young Ilioneus, raised his hands to the sky and prayed to the gods:
- Oh, Olympian gods, have mercy, have mercy!
His plea touched the formidable Apollo. But it's too late! The golden arrow has already flown from the bowstring; it cannot be returned. She also pierced the heart of Niobe's last son. Rumors of great misfortune quickly reached Niobe. With tears, the servants and Amphion report the death of his sons.
Amphion could not bear their loss; he pierced his chest with a sharp sword.
Bending over the bodies of her sons and husband, Niobe sobs. She kisses their cold lips. Niobe's heart breaks with suffering. In despair, the unfortunate woman stretches out her hands to the sky. But she is not asking for mercy. Grief did not soften her heart. She exclaims angrily:
- Rejoice, cruel Latona! Have fun until your heart is satisfied with my sorrow! You win, rival! Oh no, what am I saying, you didn’t win! I, unhappy, still have more children than you, happy! And although there are many lifeless bodies of my children around me, I still defeated you, and I still have more children left than you.
Niobe had just fallen silent when the menacing ringing of a bowstring was heard. Horror gripped everyone. Niobe alone remained calm; misfortune gave her courage. No wonder the bowstring of Artemis rang. One of Niobe's daughters, standing in deep sadness around the bodies of her brothers, falls, struck by an arrow. Here the bowstring rings again, and another daughter of Niobe falls. Six golden arrows, one after another, flew from the bowstring of Artemis, and the six beautiful, young daughters of Niobe lay lifeless. Only the youngest daughter remained. She rushed to her mother and hid herself in her lap, in the folds of her dress.
Grief broke Niobe's proud heart.
- Leave me at least your youngest daughter, great Latona! - Niobe begs, full of sorrow, - leave me at least one!
But the goddess did not take pity, and Artemis’s arrow pierces her youngest daughter.
Niobe stands surrounded by the bodies of her daughters, sons and husband. She seemed numb with grief. The wind does not move her hair. There is not a trace of blood in her face, her eyes do not glow with life, her heart does not beat in her chest, only tears of sorrow flow from her eyes. The cold stone covered her limbs. A stormy whirlwind arose and carried Niobe to her homeland, Lydia. There, high on Mount Sipile, stands Niobe, turned to stone, forever shedding tears of sorrow.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru