Fluvius Lacrimis (2006) Digital Arts by Emerald De Leeuw

River of Tears.. It tells the tragic story of Niobe..

A mortal woman in Greek mythology, Niobe, daughter of a wicked king and son of Zeus; Tantalus and Euryanassa. She was the wife of Amphion.

One night she boasted of her superiority to Leto because she had fourteen children (Niobids), seven male and seven female, while Leto had only two. Apollo killed her sons as they practiced athletics, with the last begging for his life (Apollo would have spared his life, but had already released the arrow), and the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon; daughter of Leto and twin sister of Apollo; identified with Roman Diana) Artemis, her daughters. Apollo and Artemis used poisoned arrows to kill them, though according to some versions a number of the Niobids were spared (Chloris, usually). Amphion, at the sight of his dead sons, either killed himself or was killed by Apollo after swearing revenge. A devastated Niobe fled to Mount Sipylus in Asia Minor and turned into stone as she wept, or committed suicide. Her tears formed the river Achelous. Zeus had turned all the people of Thebes to stone and so no one buried the Niobids until the ninth day after their death, when the gods themselves entombed them.

Credits - The model is the talented artist, photographer & model Natalie Shau. The sky is courtesy of: Wroth from the resurgere team