noun
- In Greek mythology, a beautiful youth and companion of Heracles who was abducted by water nymphs while fetching water.
Usage: mythology; proper noun; classical reference
Examples
- The story of Hylas is told in Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica.
- Hylas was one of the Argonauts who sailed with Jason in search of the Golden Fleece.
- According to legend, Hylas disappeared when the nymphs of the spring pulled him into the water.
- Many classical poets have retold the tragic tale of Hylas and his fate.
- The name Hylas has become synonymous with beauty and tragic loss in classical literature.