Cinyras
In
Greek mythology,
King Cinyras of
Cyprus was a son of
Apollo and husband of
Metharme. With her, he fathered
Adonis and
Myrrha.
Cinyras and his father, Apollo, held a musical contest to see who was a better musician with a
lyre. Cinyras lost and killed himself.
On Cyprus, Cinyras was revered as the creator of art and musical instruments such as the flute.
According to
Ovid, Cinyras was the king of
Panchaia, a land east of
Arabia, and the father of
Myrrha. When he discovered that he had unwittingly impregnated his daughter, he attempted to kill her, but the gods turned Myrhha into a tree, from which sprang the child
Adonis.
The story of
Cinyras and Myrrha as written by Ovid was translated by Sir Samuel Garth, John Dryden, et al
Alternative: Kinuras
