It is told that the nymph Daphne was Apollo's first love. If this was so, the god of the silver bow did not get his lively amorous career off to a good start. The fault seems to have been that of Eros who, irritated by a cutting remark made by Apollo, struck him with the golden arrow that stirred the fires of passion at the very moment that he transfixed Daphne with the blunt dart that inspired revulsion. Thus, Apollo fell desperately in love with the nymph, but she would have nothing to do with him: she consecrated herself to Artemis and sought refuge in the depths of the woods, where she found happiness only while hunting wild animals. Apollo, more and more ardent, began to follow her, trying to make her yield with flattery and promises until, his patience exhausted, he chased her without respite, like a dog hunting its prey. The pursuer was on the point of seizing her when Daphne called upon Gaea, the goddess of the Earth, to save her. At once the members of her body grew heavy, her hair grew into leafy fronds, and her feet turned into roots: nothing was left of her beauty but its sheen and Apollo found himself embracing a plant scented with laurel.