Lovers celebrated in Greek legend.
Hero, a virgin priestess of Aphrodite , was seen by Leander of Abydos during a festival, and the two fell in love. He swam the Hellespont nightly to be with her, guided by a light from her tower. One stormy night the lamp was extinguished, and Leander drowned. When Hero saw his body on the shore, she threw herself from the tower into the sea. The story was told by Ovid and was treated by Christopher Marlowe in his play Hero and Leander and by Lord Byron in The Bride of Abydos .