narcissus

narcissus
/nahr sis"euhs/, n., pl. narcissus, narcissuses, narcissi /-sis"ee, -sis"uy/ for 1, 2.
1. any bulbous plant belonging to the genus Narcissus, of the amaryllis family, having showy yellow or white flowers with a cup-shaped corona.
2. the flower of any of these plants.
3. (cap.) Class. Myth. a youth who fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool and wasted away from unsatisfied desire, whereupon he was transformed into the flower.
[1540-50; < L < Gk nárkissos plant name, traditionally connected, by virtue of plant's narcotic effects, with nárke numbness, torpor. See NARCOTIC]

* * *

In Greek mythology, a beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection.

He was the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Leriope. His mother was told by a seer that he would have a long life, provided he never saw his own reflection. His callous rejection of the nymph Echo or of his lover Ameinias drew upon him the gods' vengeance: he fell in love with his own image in the waters of a spring and wasted away. The narcissus flower sprang up where he died.

* * *

 in Greek mythology, the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. He was distinguished for his beauty. According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book III, Narcissus's mother was told by the blind seer Tiresias that he would have a long life, provided he never recognized himself. His rejection, however, of the love of the nymph Echo or (in an earlier version) of the young man Ameinias drew upon him the vengeance of the gods. He fell in love with his own reflection in the waters of a spring and pined away (or killed himself); the flower that bears his name sprang up where he died. The Greek traveler and geographer Pausanias, in Description of Greece, Book IX, said it was more likely that Narcissus, to console himself for the death of his beloved twin sister, his exact counterpart, sat gazing into the spring to recall her features.

      The story may have derived from the ancient Greek superstition that it was unlucky or even fatal to see one's own reflection. Narcissus was a very popular subject in Roman art. In Freudian psychiatry and psychoanalysis, the term narcissism denotes an excessive degree of self-esteem or self-involvement, a condition that is usually a form of emotional immaturity.

▪ Roman official
died AD 54

      freedman who used his position as correspondence secretary (ab epistulis) to the Roman emperor Claudius (ruled 41–54) to become, in effect, a minister of state.

      Narcissus exercised great influence over Claudius and amassed the enormous personal fortune of 400 million sesterces. In 43 he represented Claudius in Gaul, overseeing the departure of the army for the invasion of Britain; that military success was the basis of Claudius's enduring popularity. Narcissus collaborated with Claudius's third wife, Valeria Messalina (Messalina Valeria), in protecting Claudius from various attacks. In 48 Messalina went through a marriage ceremony with her lover, the consul Gaius Silius. Narcissus informed Claudius, who was stunned and confused, and Narcissus obtained the emperor's permission to execute the lovers and their prominent associates. For his service to the emperor he was awarded the right to wear the decorations and garb of a quaestor (the lowest regular magistrate) and to be treated accordingly on public occasions (although he was not made a member of the Senate).

      His power soon eroded. In 49 Claudius married his own niece Julia Agrippina (Agrippina, Julia) (Agrippina the Younger) instead of Narcissus's candidate. The freedman Marcus Antonius Pallas, who had promoted Agrippina's cause (and was rumoured to be her lover), received the right to wear the decorations and garb of a praetor, a magisterial rank superior to that of quaestor. Under their influence, Claudius recognized as his heir Agrippina's son (with Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (Ahenobarbus, Gnaeus Domitius)), Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (Ahenobarbus, Lucius Domitius), instead of his own son, Britannicus, who had been supported by Narcissus. In 52 Narcissus mismanaged the draining of the Fucine Lake (a project that was not fully successful until the 19th century). When Claudius died in 54—poisoned by Agrippina, it was popularly thought—her son, the new emperor, who had taken the name Nero, had Narcissus arrested and compelled him to commit suicide.

E. Badian
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Narcissus — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Narcisse …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Narcissus — may refer to: Biology Narcissus (plant), a genus containing daffodils and others People Narcissus (mythology), Greek mythological character Narcissus (wrestler) (2nd c.), assassin of the Roman emperor Commodus Tiberius Claudius Narcissus (1st c.) …   Wikipedia

  • Narcissus — L. (Narzisse), Gattung der Amaryllidazeen, Zwiebelgewächse mit linealen Blättern, blattlosem, ein oder mehrblütigem Schafte, gestielten, von häutigem Deckblatt umgebenen Blütenstielen, nickenden Blüten, röhriger oder trichterig glockiger… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Narcissus — Nar*cis sus (n[aum]r*s[i^]s s[u^]s), n.; pl. {Narcissuses}. [L. narcissus, and (personified) Narcissus, Gr. na rkissos, Na rkissos, fr. na rkh torpor, in allusion to the narcotic properties of the flower. Cf. {Narcotic}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Narcissus — [när sis′əs] n. [L < Gr Narkissos] 1. Gr. Myth. a beautiful youth who, after Echo s death, is made to pine away for love of his own reflection in a spring and changes into the narcissus 2. pl. narcissus, narcissuses, narcissi [när sis′ī] [ModL …   English World dictionary

  • Narcissus — m Latin form of the Greek name Narkissos. In classical mythology, Narcissus was a beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water and remained there transfixed until he faded away and turned into a flower. The legend… …   First names dictionary

  • narcissus — (n.) type of bulbous flowering plant, 1540s, from L. narcissus, from Gk. narkissos the narcissus, perhaps from a pre Greek Aegean word, but associated with Gk. narke numbness (see NARCOTIC (Cf. narcotic)) because of the sedative effect of the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Narcissus [2] — Narcissus (N. L.), Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Amaryllideae Narcisseae Spr., der Narcissenschwertel, Narcisseae Rchnb., Glitzen Ok., 6. Kl. 1. Ordn. L.; Arten: N. pseudonarcissus u. N. poëticus, von beiden sonst die bittere, scharfe.… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Narcissus — in Greek ↑mythology, a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own ↑reflection when he saw his face in a pool of water. Because he became very unhappy as a result, he gradually became so weak that he died. A flower grew up in the place… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Narcissus [1] — Narcissus, 1) (Sagengesch.), s. Narkissos; 2) Freigelassener, Geheimschreiber u. Günstling des römischen Kaisers Claudius; er benutzte seine Stellung zu seiner Bereicherung u. zur Bedrückung Roms u. veranlaßte den Kaiser seine zweite Gemahlin… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Narcissus — L., Narzisse, Pflanzengattg. der Amaryllidazeen, Zwiebelgewächse mit großen, lebhaft gefärbten Blüten im mittlern Europa und in den Mittelmeerländern. Viele Arten Gartenzierpflanzen: N. poëtĭcus L. (echte Narzisse [Abb. 1226]), mit weißen Blüten …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”