A cruel mother
The beautiful Latona belonged to the divine ancestry of the Titans, she crossed all lands and seas before finding a rock to house her. Nobody hosted her because the wrath of the queen of the gods forbade it. She gave birth with the help of Ilizia, goddess of childbirth, to the children of Zeus on the rock that hosted her, Artemide, goddess of the moon and Apollo, god of the light.
The rock ended up at the bottom of the sea and it became the island that people called Delo, “the shining”, as it witnessed the birth of Apollo.
Latona was proud of their sons and knew that Niobe, daughter of Tentalo, king of Lydia, had always bragged about having more children than her. Therefore, Niobe insisted on having divine honors.
As a result, Latona, full of anger and resentment, decided to punish Niobe for her pride. She commanded Apollo and Diana to kill the sons of her rival with their arrows. Niobe was turned into stone as a result of her pain, but she continued to weep forever for her lost children.