PHILEMON AND BAUCIS


Meaning of PHILEMON AND BAUCIS in English

In Greek mythology , a pious old couple in Phrygia.

When Zeus and Hermes , disguised as wayfarers, had been turned away by the couple's richer neighbors, Philemon and Baucis extended them hospitality. As a reward they were spared when a flood swept the countryside. Their cottage was turned into a temple, and they became priest and priestess of it. Years later they were granted their wish to die at the same moment, and they were turned into trees.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.