Niobe

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Niobe emerges as a legendary figure, boasting of her fourteen children - seven sons and seven daughters, the Niobids - to Leto, who had only two offspring, the twins Apollo and Artemis. With arrows, Artemis slaughtered Niobe's daughters, while Apollo killed her sons. According to some accounts, at least one Niobid (often Meliboea, accompanied by her brother Amyclas in other interpretations) survived. Their father, Amphion, upon witnessing his deceased sons, either took his own life or was slain by Apollo for vowing revenge. Crushed, Niobe fled to Mount Sipylus and was transformed into stone, as tears flowed endlessly from her petrified visage. On Mount Sipylus lies a natural rock formation resembling a female face, associated with Niobe since ancient times and described by Pausanias. This rock formation is also known as the "Weeping Rock," as rainwater seeps through its porous limestone. Here, Niobe is portrayed as a woman embodying all attributes of maternity: her round body, accentuated by nudity, breasts, and wide hips make her an embodiment of femininity in its maternal aspect.