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The beauty of this extraordinary bloom is matched only by its seemingly boundless history and legend. For example, it’s said that Cleopatra once received her beloved Marc Antony in a room knee-deep in rose petals, and that the rose was sacred in ancient times as it represented Aphrodite to the Greeks (and Venus to the Romans), symbolizing beauty and love.
An old legend has it that originally all roses were white. One night, a nightingale saw a rose and fell deeply in love, inspiring him to sing a song. (Before this, nightingales only chirped and croaked.) When his passion overtook him, he pressed himself against the flower, and when the thorns pierced his heart. Ever after, the rose was forever colored red.
An old legend has it that originally all roses were white. One night, a nightingale saw a rose and fell deeply in love, inspiring him to sing a song. (Before this, nightingales only chirped and croaked.) When his passion overtook him, he pressed himself against the flower, and when the thorns pierced his heart. Ever after, the rose was forever colored red.
