Greek heroes and characters

Niobe

In Greek mythology, Niobe is the daughter of the Siamese king Tantalus. She married the Theban king Amphion and together they had seven sons and seven daughters.

But Niobe gradually grew old, because no one had a family as big, beautiful and brave as she did. She even insulted the goddess Leto, saying that she had only two children (Apollo and Artemis). Moreover, she forbade Theban women to worship the goddess Leto. As soon as Létó learned of this insolence, she became angry and told her children, who decided to take revenge.

Apollo descended on the walls of Thebes and killed all of Niobe's sons (Ismene, Sipylos, Pheidimos, Tantalos, Alphenor, Damasichthon, and Ilioneus) in turn. When their father Amphion saw this, he plunged his sword into his own chest. In desperation, Niobe reiterated that she continued to have more children than Leto, and the punishment did not pass her by. The arrows struck all her daughters except the youngest, Chloris. It was only then that Niobé abandoned her pride and begged that at least she be left. But it was not to be. Niobé turned into a stone statue that sheds tears continuously. This statue was moved to Mount Sipylos, where it stands to this day.

Other sources say that two of Niobe's children, her son Amykles and his sister Chloris, made it out alive.