Botres

The son of Eumelus, son of Eugnotus. Eumelus greatly revered Apollo and made generous sacrifices to the god. One day, during such a sacrifice, Botres ate the brain of a sheep before it was offered up on the altar. Realizing what had happened, Eumelus, in anger, picked up a brand from the altar and hit his son on the head with it. The boy, streaming with blood, fell down in convulsions. When his mother saw this, as did the father and their servants, they made great lamentations. Apollo took pity on the father and changed the boy into a bird, the bee-eater, Merops apiaster.

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