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Philemon and Baucis
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Philemon and Baucis

Greek mythology
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History

Philemon and Baucis, in Greek mythology, a pious Phrygian couple who hospitably received Zeus and Hermes when their richer neighbours turned away the two gods, who were disguised as wayfarers. As a reward, they were saved from a flood that drowned the rest of the country; their cottage was turned into a temple, and at their own request they became priest and priestess of it. Long after, they were granted their wish to die at the same moment, being turned into trees. Among literary sources the story is found only in Book VIII of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, but it reflects folktale motifs found in many cultures.