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Daphne Villa District

Praefectus: * Livia Servilius   

According to Greek mythology, Apollo (hit by Eros with a golden arrow) fell in love with Daphne, a priestess of Mother Earth and he pursued her. But Daphne (hit by Eros with a lead arrow, which made her afraid of love), when Apollo overtook her, cried out to Mother Earth, who, in the nick of time, spirited her away and left a laurel-tree in her place. Apollo made a wreath from the leaves of the laurel tree to console himself.

In the enlarged Greek world following the conquests of Alexander the Great the site of the event was identified in a laurel tree wood near Antiochia. With the development of Antiochia many villas were built on this site during the IInd - Vth centuries AD and the location became so famous that Antiochia was named after it ad Daphne rather than ad Orontes.

Describing Daphne, Libanius wrote, "If the gods ever really leave heaven and come to earth, I believe that they must come together and hold their councils here, since they could not spend their time in a fairer place."

Halfway between the port and Antioch, Seleucus built the resort town of Daphne. Its natural springs and gorgeous vistas made it a favorite retreat for the wealthy of Antioch. Beautiful estates, gardens, villas and retreat homes dotted the countryside.

The paradise of Daphne, a park of woods and waters, in the midst of which rose a great temple to the Pythian Apollo, founded by Seleucus I. and enriched with a cult-statue of the god, as Musagetes, by Bryaxis. A companion sanctuary of Hecate was constructed underground by Diocletian. The beauty and the lax morals of Daphne were celebrated all over the western world; and indeed Antioch as a whole shared in both these titles to fame.

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