about niobe

In Greek mythology, Niobe, the mother of many children, boastfully compared herself to Leto, the mother of only two -- Apollo and Artemis. To avenge the insult to their mother, Apollo, with his golden arrows, killed Niobe's seven sons and Artemis, with her silver arrows, killed Niobe's seven daughters, still dressed in mourning for their brothers. Having lost all her children, Niobe wept inconsolably, until the gods took pity on her and changed her, still weeping, into a stone.