Hero and Leander

This couple found in Greek mythology are part of a tragic love story. It seems Hero was a Priestess of Aphrodite, who lived in a town called Sestos. Her lover, Leander, lived in Abydos - a town across the Strait of Hellespont (now Dardanelles). He would swim every night across the Strait (1 to 4 miles wide) to reach his loved one. Until one night there was a terrible storm, which blew out the lantern Hero used to guide Leander across the strait and he drowned. When she realized he died, she threw herself into the sea. (Note: Dardanelles connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara and separates the Gallipoli peninsula of European Turkey from Asian Turkey).

Their story served as inspiration for various poets such as Lord Byron and Christopher Marloe, whom wrote great literary masterpieces: "Written after swimming from Sestos to Abydos" and "Hero and Leander", respectively. These can be found in the subject link. Hope you like them.

As a special note, Lord Byron's poem "Written after swimming from Sestos to Abydos" was indeed written after he swam the stretch. Lord Byron liked to behave in a rebellious manner, so in this case he tried to succeed where Leander (a mythical hero) had failed, and then brag about it. While Leander lost his life, Byron only lost health (got a cold). In my mind, he was a true personification of the Romantics (literary movement) of the age.