description Hero and Leander Overview
Hero and Leander is a Greek legend centered on two lovers separated by the Hellespont, the strait now called the Dardanelles. Hero is a priestess of Aphrodite living at Sestos, while Leander lives across the water at Abydos and swims the strait at night, guided by a lamp that Hero lights in her tower. During a storm the light is extinguished and Leander drowns; after finding his body, Hero kills herself, giving the story its enduring tragic form.
insights Ranking position
Hero and Leander ranks #60 of 168 in the Legend ranking, behind Grettir the Strong, ahead of Diarmuid and Grainne.
help Hero and Leander FAQ
What body of water did Leander swim to reach Hero?
Leander swam the Hellespont, the strait now known as the Dardanelles, to reach Hero on the other side. The crossing separated Hero at Sestos on the European shore from Leander at Abydos on the Asian shore.
How did Leander find his way across the water at night?
Leander guided himself by a lamp that Hero kept burning in her tower at Sestos. In the legend, the drowning of Leander is precipitated when a storm extinguishes the lamp and he loses his way in the darkness.
Who wrote the most famous literary version of Hero and Leander?
Christopher Marlowe began the poem "Hero and Leander" in the 1590s, and it was completed by George Chapman after Marlowe's death in 1593. The Greek poet Musaeus had also written an earlier version of the legend in late antiquity.
Who was Hero in the original Greek legend?
In the legend, Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite living at Sestos on the European side of the Hellespont. She tended a shrine to the goddess and kept a lamp burning in her tower to guide Leander across the strait during his nightly swims.
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