Clytie (Oceanid) Facts for Kids

This page is about the Oceanid nymph in love with Helios. For other uses, see Clytie.

Quick facts for kids Clytie
Member of the Oceanids
Townley's Clytie
Other names	Clytia
Greek	Κλυτίη
Abode	Boeotia, others
Symbols	Heliotropium
Personal information
Consort	Helios
Parents	Oceanus and Tethys or Orchamus
Siblings	The Oceanids, the river gods or Leucothoe

Clytie (pronounced Kloo-TEE-ay) or Clytia is a beautiful water nymph from Greek mythology. She was one of the 3,000 Oceanid nymphs. Her parents were the powerful Titans, Oceanus and Tethys. This also made her a sister to the 3,000 river-gods.

Clytie's story is mainly about her deep love for Helios, the sun-god. Sadly, Helios fell in love with another woman, Princess Leucothoe. Heartbroken and jealous, Clytie spent her days gazing at him as he crossed the sky. Eventually, she transformed into a heliotrope flower. This flower is known for always turning its face towards the Sun.

Her Family Tree
The Myth of Clytie and Helios
Clytie in Art and Literature
- Famous Sculptures of Clytie
- Clytie in Poems
Gallery
See Also

Her Family Tree

The writer Ovid did not mention Clytie's parents. However, Hesiod, an even older Greek writer, listed her among the 3,000 Oceanids. These were the daughters of the water deities Oceanus and Tethys. They were two of the original Titans, who were powerful gods before Zeus and the Olympians. Another writer, Hyginus, also agreed with this family tree. This means Clytie was also a sister to the 3,000 river-gods.

In a different story from a place called Boeotia, Clytie was said to be the sister of Leucothoe. In this version, their father was King Orchomenus.

The Myth of Clytie and Helios

Ovid tells the most detailed version of Clytie's story. He wrote that Clytie was deeply in love with Helios, the sun-god. But then, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, caused Helios to fall for a mortal princess named Leucothoe. Helios then stopped caring for Clytie and spent all his time admiring Princess Leucothoe.

Clytie felt abandoned and heartbroken. In deep despair, Clytie sat on the rocks for nine days. She did not eat or drink. She just stared at the Sun, mourning his departure. But Helios never looked back at her. After nine days, she slowly changed into a purple flower. This flower was the heliotrope, which means "sun-turning." This flower is also called a turnsole. It grows on sunny, rocky hillsides. The heliotrope flower always turns its head to follow Helios, the Sun, as he moves across the sky. Even though Helios no longer cared for her, Clytie's love for him never changed.

Clytie in Art and Literature

Famous Sculptures of Clytie

One famous sculpture of Clytie is a bust found in the collection of Charles Townley. A bust is a sculpture of a person's head and shoulders. This particular bust was made between 40 and 50 AD. Townley bought it in Italy in the 1770s. It was one of his favorite pieces. It even appears in a famous painting of his library by Johann Zoffany.

For a long time, people debated who the sculpture showed. It depicts a woman emerging from a calyx of leaves, like a flower. At first, some thought it was Agrippina. Later, Townley himself thought it was Isis in a lotus flower. Today, many believe it represents Clytie. Some experts even think it might be a Roman lady from that time, shown as Ariadne.

Another well-known bust of Clytie was created by George Frederick Watts. Unlike the calm Townley bust, Watts's Clytie looks like she is straining and turning her head to gaze at the sun.

Clytie in Poems

Copy AA of Blake's engraving for the poem Ah! Sun-flower, from Songs of Experience.

Clytie is mentioned briefly in Thomas Hood's poem Flowers. He writes, "I will not have the mad Clytie,/Whose head is turned by the sun;". The famous poem Ah! Sun-flower by William Blake is also thought to be about Clytie's myth.

The sunflower, which is often linked to Clytie's story (even though she turned into a heliotrope), has become a symbol. It represents someone who is very loyal and devoted. This can be a soul devoted to a god, or a lover devoted to their beloved.