The story of Daphne originated from a very brief local legend in the late Pan Greek period, and was created in the "Metamorphosis" written by the Roman poet Ovid around the first century AD. In essence, Daphne's story is not a Greek myth, but an original creation by the Roman Ovid.
The purpose of Roman Ovid's creation of this story is actually primarily to explain why the Roman emperor wore a laurel crown. Because during the period of Ovid's life, the founding emperor of the Roman Empire, Augustus, strongly encouraged Rome to inherit Greek culture. He called himself the incarnation of Apollo on earth or the son of Apollo, Apollo, and his laurel, and thus became a symbol of Roman imperial power.
In fact, in Greece, the god of laurel was always Apollo himself, and laurel was one of his main symbols. In classical Greek mythology, the fairy Daphne never appeared, and she was never a goddess. There are only "Daphnes" (a nickname for Apollo) in Greek mythology, meaning "laurel loving" (Apollo god).
In ancient Greek mythology and Greek, Daphne has never been a personal name, let alone a fairy and by no means a goddess. The original meaning of this word is laurel tree, which is a noun.
Daphne in Roman mythology is a personification of the word "laurel," or a split version of Apollo, the god of laurel. Ovid believed that she was the daughter of the river god, and the most famous and only story about her was Apollo's courtship to her.

There is a laurel goddess named Daphne, who is one of the most beautiful goddesses among the Roman gods. She lives among mountains, forests, and waters all year round, leading a peaceful life.
Once, Apollo saw Cupid playing with a bow and arrow. He rudely warned Cupid, "Hey! Bows and arrows are very dangerous things. Children should not play with them casually."
It turns out that Cupid, the little god of love, has two very special arrows. "Whoever is shot by his sharp arrow made of gold will immediately kindle the passion of love in his heart.".
If the blunt arrow made of lead hits a person, he will be very disgusted with love.
Cupid was very unconvinced when Apollo said so. "He took advantage of Apollo's inattention and" swished "the arrow of love at Apollo.".
Apollo immediately had a strong desire for love in his heart. Just then, a beautiful girl named Daphne arrived.
The naughty Cupid shot the blunt lead arrow at Daphne. Daphne, who was shot by a blunt arrow, immediately became very disgusted with love.
At this time, Apollo, who was shot by the arrow of love, had fallen deeply in love with Daphne and immediately expressed his admiration for her.
"But Daphne was very unhappy and said, 'Go away! I hate love! Stay away from me!'" She said, running like an antelope into the valley. ".
However, Apollo was not discouraged in pursuing Daphne. He took the harp and played a beautiful tune. Whoever hears the sound of Apollo's piano can't help but walk up to him and listen to his performance.
Daphne, hiding in the mountains, was unconsciously intoxicated when she heard the beautiful sound of the piano.
"Where is such a touching sound coming from? I want to see who played it." Daphne was already fascinated by the sound and walked towards Apollo.
Apollo, who was hiding behind a large stone and playing the harp, immediately jumped out and stepped forward to embrace Daphne.
Daphne saw Apollo and ran away.
Apollo chased after him and shouted, "I am not your enemy, nor am I a fierce beast, nor am I a reckless man who makes trouble for no reason. Why do you want to avoid me?"
Although Apollo kept shouting at Daphne from behind, Daphne still ignored her and continued to run forward.
However fast Daphne ran, she couldn't run Apollo. After running for a while, Daphne was exhausted and out of breath.
Finally, she fell to the ground, and as Apollo was about to catch up, Daphne cried out urgently, "Help! Help!"
At this moment, the river god heard Daphne's cry for help, and immediately turned her into a laurel tree with divine power.
Daphne's beautiful hair turned into leaves, her wrists into branches, her legs into trunks, and her feet and toes into roots, deeply embedded in the soil.
Apollo saw it and was deeply remorseful. He hugged the laurel tree sadly and wept, but the laurel tree kept swinging.
Although Daphne had become a laurel tree, Apollo still loved her.
"He said fondly to the laurel tree, 'Although you didn't become my wife, I will always love you.'".
"I will make my crown of your branches and leaves, my harp of your wood, and my bow of your flowers.". "At the same time, I will grant you eternal youth and never old age."
Daphne, who had become a laurel tree, was deeply moved and nodded her thanks.
Perhaps due to Apollo's blessing, the laurel tree is evergreen all year round and is a very popular plant.

Apollo and Daphne
Daphne, the goddess of laurel
Daphne, the goddess of laurel
Italian sculptor Bernini, based on this myth, completed the work "Apollo and Daphne", which depicts the moment when Apollo's hand touched Daphne's body. Title: Apollo and Daphne,
Author: Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680)
Time: 1622-1624
Material: Marble
Specification: (unknown)
Current location: Bogus Museum of Art, Rome, Italy.
The statue represents the moment when Apollo's hand touched Daphne's body. Both of them are in the movement of running in the wind, with a light and graceful body. Daphne's body has begun to turn into a laurel tree, her walking legs have been transformed into tree trunks and implanted into the earth. Leaves have grown from the fluttering hair and the stretching fingers, and even her softest breasts have been covered with a thin layer of bark. However, Daphne's entire body still has a soaring posture, with her arms and body forming a beautiful S-shape. She tilted her head, her gaze turning from panic to numbness, with a sense of pity. Apollo watched helplessly as Daphne turned into a laurel tree, his expression turning from surprise to sadness, but he could not help it. "One of his hands remains on Daphne's body, while the other extends diagonally downward, forming a straight line with Daphne's arm, giving the entire statue a sense of turbulence and expressiveness.". [1]
This work by Bernini was created in imitation of the late Greek sculpture style, and the dramatic plot made the statue deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The posture of the entire work is even more impeccable, and from that perspective, both characters are as graceful as dancing. "This work was created by Bernini for one of the most powerful cardinals of the time, and immediately after its publication, it caused a sensation throughout Rome, and everyone who saw it was moved by it.".
Daphne is a charming and moving fairy. One day when she was happily playing in the forest, she found Apollo, the sun god, staring at her with amazement and admiration. The radiant sun made her run with fear. The eager sun god followed closely and tried to shout to stop her. Her beauty and elegance triggered his passion. He feared that this would be their last face. The fast paced fairy ran desperately, but the passionate Apollo kept up with her. She crossed the wilderness and through the lonely woods, but the sound of chasing footsteps grew closer. As he pursued, he begged his beloved fairy to slow down. He was afraid that the fairy's fall on the stone path would scratch her shining skin. But the runaway fairy did not care about these things. She didn't even glance behind her, but eventually she gasped for help from her father, the river god. Her plea was immediately answered. She soon found herself glued to the ground. Then, a soft layer of bark grew on her delicate skin, and she became a laurel tree. The sun god sighed and hugged the tree trunk, which shrank. In order to express his undying love for the fairy, he chose the laurel tree as his favorite tree species, and decided to use it as a reward for honor and prestige, awarding it to those eternal poets and poems that have remained immortal. Therefore, the most outstanding poets always hope to receive the title of Poet Laureate