Niobe/Definition

From Greek mythology, she was the Theban queen and sister of Tantalos. She suffered from excessive pride and boasting that she was better than a goddess, since she had fourteen children but the goddess Leto only had two. Apollo and Artemis killed all fourteen children and the story serves as a lesson in mortality, that is, humans are not gods, can suffer at any time from death, and should be humble of necessity. According to one story, Niope turns into a cliffside with water running down representing her never ceasing tears of sadness after losing all her children. Source: Elizabeth Vandiver, Classics scholar, authority on Greek mythology and Greek tragedy, including the Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Homer, and Virgil. This definition is based on her course Classical Mythology for The Teaching Company.