" Niobe in Hortis Medecies "

Niobe, the queen of Thebes declared herself superior to the god Leto because she and her husband had fourteen children (the Niobids) while Leto only had two, Apollo and Artemis. In retaliation, Leto sent Apollo and Artemis to kill all the Niobids, which they did in a manner of minutes by shooting them with arrows. Niobes husband was also killed for swearing his revenge for the death of his children. Surrounded by her dead family, Niobe is shown here cradling her youngest daughter in her arms just before she flees to Mt. Siplyon in Asia Minor, where she is said to have turned into stone. There, the river Achelous is said to have been generated by her tears. A womans face can be seen today carved into the side of Mt. Siplyon which, because it is carved into the mountains porous limestone, appears to be still crying.