Greek Myths XS: Erisychthon cuts Demeter's/Ceres' Oak Tree

Royalty in Greek myths has a tendency to be vain and greedy, and king Erysichthon from Thessaly wasn’t an exception. While building an extension to his already lavish palace, he chose a tree in Demeter’s sacred forest for the roof. Demeter herself warned him, in the guise of an old lady, not to touch it, but he cut it anyway, unaliving a tree nymph in the process. Demeter punished him with insatiable hunger. He didn’t mind that much at first, and feasted till he dropped. But he could never have enough, and before long, he had eaten all his riches away. To make money, he sold his daughter, Mestra, to the highest bidder. And he continued doing so over and over again, because she would always escape, as she could change her shape at will. (A gift from sea god Poseidon, after he had taken advantage of her.) And then, one day, she broke the cycle, and didn’t return. That night, Erysichthon had no choice but to eat himself, bit by bit. The following morning, there was nothing of him left. Not that anyone noticed.

Erisychthon selling his daughter, Jan Steen, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Erysichthon cuts down Ceres' oak tree, Johann Wilhelm Baur,

British Museum, London, UK