During the Trojan War, the King of Athens, Menesthessas, was killed and Dimophon succeeded him. Dimophon was the son of Theseus and Phaedra.

Traveling to the Aegean Sea in order to return to Athens, he arrived on the coast of Thrace wanted to escape from sea storm.

On the beach he saw girls playing among them. Onof them was Phyllis the daughter of King Sithon. 

The Dimophon asked the girls to show him if they knew wherehecould find water to fill their empty flasks with water.

The Princess was fascinated by the beauty and kindness of young Dimophon. 

He also was not indifferent to her grace and beauty.

Love came very soon between them.

 The marriage of the two young blessed by the King Sithon who appreciated the character of young king and gave them wealth and land from his kingdom, taking care to have all goods.

But the joy and happiness of their married life would not hold forever! 

The nostalgia of Dimophon's homeland was big and the young prince asked from his wife to allow him to travel for a while to Athens.

The girl accepted reluctantly and he started on the trip. He begged him not to be late to come back to her soon. 

However, the trip was long and when arrived in Athens, his friends and his family delayed their departure.

The months passed and the sweet expectancy of Phyllis turned into unbearable pain.

She was afraid that something ugly had happened to her husband and unbearable pain was covering her soul but she did not lost her hopes that one day he return back to her again!

He knew the feelings of both were so strong that nothing in the world could erase them.

But why was it so slow? 

Every day she went to the point of farewell and waited. 

She was standing there ,looking to the depth of the horizon

 just where her beloved husband was lost.

Day by day the death went closer to her .

She had become so weak ,so weak that gods felt sorry for 

her and in order not to she suffer any more they transformed

her into a beautiful tree, the Almond tree.

Dimopfon also wanted to see his wife again! 

He could not be far from his beloved wife .

Ignoring the advice of friends to stay until the weather will 

be better , he started in the heart of winter the return journey.

For days he walked through the winds, the cold and the snow until he reached in Thrace.

Looking for his beloved came to the point of farewell.

There he saw a tall, dry tree standing without fruit and leaves. 

The young man understood what had happened, and with tears in his eyes he tightly embraced the dry tree, knowing that this tree was her wife.

And then, like a miracle, life flooded the dry wood and the bare branches of the tree were started filled with beautiful small white flowers...

                                    The end of myth !

So the almond tree became a symbol of hope, showing that love can not be defeated by death.

     Children paintings 

     about the almond tree!

    See all them in a common padlet here:

   https://padlet.com/aikpapagia/hqbh3yn87556