Phaon

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For the Phaon in Faerie Queene, see Phaon (fiction).
The death of Sappho, with Phaon.
The death of Sappho, with Phaon.

Phaon in Greek mythology was a boatman of Mitylene in Lesbos. He was old and ugly when Aphrodite came to his boat. She put on the guise of a crone. Phaon ferried her over to Asia Minor and accepted no payment for doing so. In return, she gave him a box of ointment. When he rubbed it on himself, he became young and beautiful. Many were captivated by his beauty.

According to mythology, Sappho fell in love with him. He lay with her but soon grew to resent her and devalue her. Sappho was so distraught with his rejection that she threw herself into the sea to drown. Aelian says that Phaon was killed by a man whom he was cuckolding.

Aside from Aelian, this Phaon's story is told by Ovid and Lucian.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1848 edition of 'Lempriere's Dictionary.'

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