What is the most common ROMAN version of Narcissus and Echo?
The most common Roman version would be that of the romantic poet, Ovid. In his version of the story, Narcissus embodies adolescence but is less vain as simply unresponsive to the sexual advances of others. Echo has been silenced by Juno (the Roman equivalent of the Greek Hera) because she intervened when Juno was trying to catch her husband in the act of adultery, holding her in conversation long enough for Jupiter (the Roman equivalent of the Greek Zeus) to get away. So basically, Echo was punished for fostering a sexual liaison; Narcissus for refusing to be sexually involved at all. The original Greek version is darker and more dramatic, as is often the case with Greek mythology. In Ovid’s version of the story, Narcissus simply wastes away, but in other versions he commits suicide, either by stabbing himself or throwing himself into a pool. Ovid’s version resembles more closely what we know about adolescent sexuality. I hope this helps.
