Daphne (sculpture)
According to Greek myth, Apollo chased the nymph Daphne (Greek: Δάφνη, meaning "laurel"), daughter of Peneus and Creusa in Thessaly. The god's infatuation was caused by an arrow from Eros, who wanted to make Apollo pay for making fun of his archery skills and to demonstrate the power of love's arrow. Daphne prays for help either to the river god Peneus or to Gaea, and was transformed into a laurel (Laurus nobilis). The laurel became sacred to Apollo, and crowned the victors at the Pythian Games.