In
Greek mythology,
Ganymede (; ;
Greek: ,
Ganymedes) is a
divine hero whose homeland was
Troy. He was the son of
Tros of Dardania, from whose name "Troy" was supposed to derive, and of
Callirrhoe. His brothers were
Ilus and
Assaracus. In one version of the myth, he is abducted by
Zeus, in the form of an eagle, to serve as
cup-bearer in
Olympus.
Homer describes Ganymede as the most beautiful of mortals:
The myth was a model for the
Greek social custom of paiderastía, the socially acceptable erotic relationship between a man and a youth. The Latin form of the name was
Catamitus (and also "Ganymedes"), from which the English word "
catamite" derives.