Adonis’s family tree is unusually small and tangled: he is the son of Myrrha (also called Smyrna) and her father King Cinyras of Cyprus, making him both a product of incest and a mortal-born youth who became a god. His lovers are the goddess Aphrodite and the underworld queen Persephone, and he has no widely attested children in classical sources. The details of his parentage, however, shift between Greek and Roman writers, and some versions give him a different father entirely.
Who Were Adonis’s Parents?
The most famous version of Adonis’s birth comes from the Greek poet Panyassis (as quoted by the later mythographer Apollodorus) and from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In this account, Myrrha (or Smyrna) was the daughter of King Cinyras of Cyprus and his wife Cenchreis. Myrrha developed an incestuous passion for her father, and with the help of her nurse she slept with him in the dark. When Cinyras discovered the truth, he chased her with a sword, and the gods turned her into a myrrh tree. After ten months, the tree split open, and Adonis was born from it.
In other versions, the father is not Cinyras but Theias, king of Assyria. The Greek poet Panyassis and the historian Apollodorus both use Cinyras, while the Latin writer Hyginus and some scholia (ancient commentary on texts) name Theias. The Roman poet Ovid, writing in the Metamorphoses, follows the Cinyras version. A third, less common tradition makes Adonis the son of Phoenix and Alphesiboea, but this appears only in a few late sources.
Adonis’s Birth and the Myrrh Tree
The myrrh tree is central to Adonis’s origin. After Myrrha was transformed, the tree wept fragrant tears—these are the myrrh resin used in ancient perfumes and incense. When the tree split, Adonis emerged. In Ovid’s telling, the nymphs (or in some versions, the goddess Aphrodite herself) found the baby and raised him. The name Adonis comes from the Semitic word adon, meaning “lord,” which points to his Near Eastern origins. He is often linked to the Phoenician god Tammuz or the Sumerian Dumuzid, a dying-and-rising vegetation deity, though the Greek myth gives him a fully Hellenized family.
Adonis and Aphrodite: The Central Love Story
Adonis’s most famous relationship is with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. When Aphrodite saw the infant Adonis, she was so struck by his beauty that she placed him in a chest and gave him to Persephone, queen of the underworld, for safekeeping. But Persephone also fell in love with him and refused to give him back. The dispute between the two goddesses was brought before Zeus (or in some versions, the muse Calliope) for judgment.
The verdict split Adonis’s time: he would spend one third of the year with Aphrodite, one third with Persephone, and one third with himself. Aphrodite, however, used her magic girdle to arrange that Adonis would also spend his own third with her, so in effect he spent two thirds of the year with the goddess of love and only one third in the underworld. This myth explains the cycle of growth and decay in nature: Adonis’s time above ground brings spring and summer, while his descent marks autumn and winter.
Adonis’s Death and the Anemone
Adonis’s life was short. While hunting on Mount Lebanon (or in some versions, on Cyprus), he was gored by a wild boar. The boar was either sent by a jealous Ares (Aphrodite’s lover) or by Artemis, who was angry that Adonis boasted of being a better hunter than she. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Aphrodite heard his cries and rushed to him, but she was too late. As she wept over his body, she caused the anemone (a windflower) to spring from his blood. In other versions, the flower is a rose, and the red color of roses is said to come from Aphrodite’s blood when she pricked her foot on a thorn.
Adonis’s death is not permanent. In many versions, he is allowed to return from the underworld each year, which is why the festival of Adonia (celebrated mainly by women in Athens and Alexandria) involved planting quick-growing seeds in pots that were left to wither—symbolizing Adonis’s death and rebirth.
Did Adonis Have Children?
No classical source gives Adonis any children. This is unusual for a mythological hero, but it fits his role as a youth who dies before maturity. Some later, non-canonical traditions (especially in Renaissance and early modern literature) invented a son named Golgos or a daughter named Beroe, but these are not attested in ancient Greek or Roman sources. Beroe appears in Nonnus’s Dionysiaca (5th century AD) as the daughter of Aphrodite and Adonis, but this is a late, literary invention and not part of the standard myth.
Adonis’s Place in the Royal Family of Cyprus
If Adonis is the son of Cinyras, then he is part of the royal house of Cyprus. Cinyras was a legendary king of Cyprus and a priest of Aphrodite. He was said to be the son of Apollo (or in some versions, of Sandocus and Pharnace). Cinyras had several children besides Myrrha: his sons included Oxyporus and Adonis (in some lists), and his daughters included Orsedice, Laogore, and Braesia. But the incest with Myrrha is the only story that involves Adonis.
The Cypriot connection is important because Cyprus was a major center of Aphrodite’s worship, and the island had a long tradition of sacred prostitution and fertility rites. The myth of Adonis likely originated in the Near East and was adapted to fit the Cypriot royal family, giving the foreign god a local genealogy.
Adonis in Later Art and Literature
Adonis’s family tree may be small, but his cultural footprint is enormous. He appears in Greek vase paintings, Roman mosaics, and Renaissance paintings (notably Titian’s Venus and Adonis). In Shakespeare’s poem Venus and Adonis (1593), the story is retold with a reluctant Adonis who prefers hunting to love. The myth has been interpreted as a symbol of the cycle of vegetation, a warning against excessive pride in beauty, and a story about the power of love to transcend death.
In modern times, the name Adonis is used as a term for a handsome young man, and the myth continues to inspire literature, film, and psychology (the Adonis complex refers to a man’s obsession with physical appearance). But the actual family tree remains as sparse as the myth is rich.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were Adonis’s parents?
In the most common version, Adonis’s parents are Myrrha (Smyrna) and her father King Cinyras of Cyprus. In an alternative tradition, his father is Theias, king of Assyria. A few late sources name Phoenix and Alphesiboea.
Why was Adonis born from a tree?
Because his mother Myrrha was transformed into a myrrh tree to escape her father’s wrath after the incest was discovered. The tree gave birth to Adonis when it split open.
Who were Adonis’s lovers?
His primary lover was Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Persephone, queen of the underworld, also loved him, and the two goddesses shared his time. In some versions, he also had a brief affair with the goddess Proserpina (the Roman Persephone).
Did Adonis have any children?
No, Adonis has no children in the standard ancient sources. A late poem by Nonnus gives him a daughter named Beroe, but this is not part of the mainstream myth.
How did Adonis die?
He was killed by a wild boar while hunting. The boar was sent by either Ares (who was jealous of Aphrodite’s love) or Artemis (who was angry at Adonis’s boastful hunting skills).
What does the name Adonis mean?
The name comes from the Semitic word adon, meaning “lord.” It is a title rather than a personal name, reflecting his origins as a Near Eastern vegetation god.
Related
- Larissa in Greek Mythology: Roles & Myths
- Aetna in Greek Mythology: Goddess and Mountain
- Three Great Officials: Chinese Myth & Lore
How pages are sourced and corrected: Sources and editorial policy.