The story of
Hero and Leander is a
Greek myth.
Hero was a priestess of
Aphrodite who dwelled in a tower in
Asia Minor, at the edge of the
Hellespont.
Leander, a young man from
Abydus[?], on the other side of the strait, fell in love with her, and he would swim every night across the Hellespont to be with her. Hero would light a lamp every night at the top of her tower, to guide his way.
Succumbing to Leander's soft words, and to his argument that Aphrodite, as goddess of love, would scorn the worship of a virgin, Hero allowed him to make love to her. But one stormy winter night, the waves tossed Leander in the sea and the breezes blew out Hero's light, and Leander lost his way, and was drowned. Hero threw herself from a tower in grief and died as well.
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