In Greek mythology Lotis was a nymph who was transformed into a Lotus tree, Ziziphus jujuba to escape from Priapus, the god of the garden, vineyards, and fertility. According to Ovid, Dryope picked a flower from this Lotus tree for her baby to play with. The tree started to bleed, and when the blood of the tree touched Dryope she turned into a poplar tree. The Lotus-eaters (Lotophagi) lived on an island where they ate a species of Zizyphus jujuba which had a narcotic effect.
For a description of Ovid's account of Lotis' rejection of Priapus, see the Web Gallery of Art, hosted by the Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. For a better look at The Feast of the Gods, by Giovanni Bellini, see Romans Online.
Also of interest
Priapus weighing his privates
Priapus Tree, Amy Blue
Click here to return to pictures of my daughter Lotus.
Contact Information for the Webmaster,
Dr. Karl L. Wuensch
This page most recently revised on 16. December 2006.
