Baucis

Baucis is a figure in Greek mythology, best known as the wife of Philemon, an elderly, poor couple who live a simple life in a rural Phrygian village. They are celebrated for their hospitality and piety despite their limited means.

In the myth, Zeus and Hermes visit the area disguised as mortal travelers. The couple warmly receive them, offering food and shelter while the rest of the village spurns the strangers. The gods, moved by their generosity, reveal their divine identities and announce a punishment for the unwelcoming townsfolk: a great flood will erase the area. Baucis and Philemon, however, are spared.

The gods grant the couple one wish. They ask to die at the same moment and to remain together for eternity. In fulfillment, Zeus and Hermes transform their modest cottage into a temple and turn the couple into entwined trees—often described as two trees growing from a single trunk. Some variants name different tree species, such as an oak and a linden, but the essential image is two intertwined trees sharing a single life.

Legacy and interpretation: The tale emphasizes hospitality, humility, and the reward of virtue. It appears in classical sources, most famously in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and has influenced later literature and art as a symbol of devoted marriage and divine blessing. The story also serves as a narrative illustration of metamorphosis as a divine response to human conduct.