Narcissus
Narcissus was a youth possessed of incredible beauty, and while everyone who saw him loved him, males as well as females, he spurned them all through pride. The hapless nymph Echo, whom Hera had punished by turning her speech into a repetition of what others said, came across Narcissus in a glade and pleaded with him, using his own words, to love her. He rejected her. Artemis grew angry and caused him to fall in love with himself. Narcissus came to a clear pond and became enraptured when he saw his reflection. He sat down and gazed longingly at himself hour upon hour. At length he desperately killed himself with a knife, unable to bear his self-love, and where his blood fell grew up the narcissus flower, which has medicinal properties. Echo repeated his dying word, "Alas!"
Orion
Orion, the huge, handsome son of Poseidon, was a hunter of Boeotia. Courting Merope, he grew impatient of her father's conditions and raped her, whereupon her father blinded him and threw him out. Advised by an oracle, Orion traveled east to the point where Helios arose from Ocean. Dawn fell in love with Orion and slept with him. Helios, the sun, cured his sight. Then the hunter went searching for Merope's father to get revenge. But Artemis dissuaded him and he became her hunting companion. Fearing for the chastity of his sister Artemis, Apollo sent a large scorpion to chase Orion. Unable to subdue the vicious beast, Orion set out across the water. Apollo persuaded Artemis to shoot the bobbing object out on the waves and she pierced Orion's head. She then set his image up among the stars, where it was pursued by the constellation of the scorpion.
Otus and Ephialtes
The gigantic sons of Poseidon, Otus and Ephialtes knew they could not be killed by gods or other men, and in their self-confidence they laid siege to Olympus. Ephialtes intended to rape Hera, and Otus swore he'd rape Artemis. They captured Ares and locked him in a brass jar for thirteen months. Artemis then offered to lay with Otus on the island of Naxos, which made Ephialtes jealous. On Naxos a quarrel arose between the two giants. Changing herself into a white doe, Artemis sprang between them. They seized their spears and attempted to slay the doe, but they killed each other instead, putting an end to their war against the gods.
