The Serpent's Curse: Aphrodite's Retribution

In the heart of the verdant gardens of Olympus, where the scent of blooming roses mingled with the whispers of the gods, there lived a serpent unlike any other. It was a creature of beauty and malice, its scales shimmering with hues of emerald and sapphire. This was not just any serpent; it was the embodiment of a love that had turned bitter, a tale that had become legend among the gods and mortals alike.

The serpent, named Erymanthus, had once been a guardian of the love goddess, Aphrodite. It was a gift from the sea god, Poseidon, to protect the divine gardens and the love that bloomed there. But as the years passed, Erymanthus grew weary of its duty, and it found itself yearning for something more, something beyond the boundaries of its divine existence.

In its loneliness, Erymanthus became the vessel for a forbidden love. It sought out the mortal world, where its heart was stirred by the longing of a human. This mortal, a shepherd named Thymbraios, was a man of simple desires, but his love for Erymanthus was as complex and deep as the sea itself. Together, they dared to cross the divide between the gods and men, a union that was doomed from the start.

Aphrodite, who had long suspected the serpent's betrayal, had been watching. She had seen the love that blossomed between Erymanthus and Thymbraios, and she knew that it was a love that could never be. For Erymanthus, a creature of the divine, and Thymbraios, a man of the earth, their union was an affront to the very laws of the gods.

One fateful night, as the moon hung heavy in the sky, and the stars seemed to weep for the lovers, Aphrodite acted. She summoned her attendants, the winds and the flames, and with a single, searing command, she banished the serpent from the gardens of Olympus. But her wrath was not yet complete. She knew that the serpent's heart was bound to Thymbraios, and she would not allow their love to persist.

Aphrodite turned her gaze to Thymbraios, who had been oblivious to the serpent's transformation and the god's wrath. With a touch of her divine finger, she cursed the shepherd. Thymbraios would be transformed, not just in appearance, but in essence. His love for Erymanthus would be twisted into a madness that would consume him, a madness that would drive him to the brink of his sanity.

As the sun rose the next morning, Thymbraios awoke to find himself changed. His skin had become scales, his hair had turned into a mane, and his eyes, once full of love, now glowed with a serpent's fire. He was now a man-serpent, a creature of both worlds, cursed by the goddess of love.

Pain and confusion coursed through him as he discovered his new form. He sought out Erymanthus, but the serpent had vanished, leaving behind only a trail of blood that led to the edge of the mortal world. Thymbraios wandered, searching for his love, but everywhere he turned, he was shunned by the humans and feared by the gods.

In his despair, Thymbraios found himself at the gates of Olympus, where he begged Aphrodite for forgiveness. "Goddess, I do not know what I have done to anger you, but I am yours, body and soul. I ask only for your love to be returned to me, for a chance to be whole again."

Aphrodite, standing before him in her divine splendor, her eyes cold and unyielding, replied, "Thymbraios, your love was a betrayal to the divine. You sought to defy the laws of the gods, and now you must bear the consequences of your actions."

The shepherd-man, now fully a serpent, bowed his head, accepting his fate. "Then, Goddess, I shall live as I am, and I shall guard the love that you have given me. But, I ask only one thing, that my curse be lifted when the last of my descendants seek the divine love."

Aphrodite, moved by his humility and the depth of his love, granted his wish. She decreed that the serpent's curse would be lifted when the last descendant of Thymbraios sought love in the divine gardens. Until that day, Thymbraios would wander the earth, a creature of both worlds, a testament to the power of love and the consequences of defying the gods.

And so, the tale of Erymanthus and Thymbraios became a cautionary myth, a reminder of the divine laws that govern the human heart. It was a story that would be told for generations, a tale of love, betrayal, and the eternal quest for divine affection.