Ganymede

In Greek mythology, Ganymede (/ˈɡænɪmiːd/ GAN-im-eed) or Ganymedes (/ˌɡænɪˈmiːdiːz/ GAN-im-EE-deez; Ancient Greek: Γανυμήδης, romanized: Ganymēdēs) is a divine hero from Troy. Homer describes him as the most handsome of all mortals and recounts how the gods abducted him to serve as Zeus's cup-bearer on Mount Olympus.

The name was adapted into Latin as Catamitus (and also "Ganymedes"), which is the origin of the English word catamite. The earliest versions of the myth contained no erotic elements, but by the 5th century BCE, the story evolved to include Zeus's sexual passion for the youth. In Plato's Phaedrus, Socrates refers to Zeus being in love with Ganymede, describing it as "desire." However, in Xenophon's Symposium, Socrates presents a different interpretation, arguing that Zeus loved Ganymede for his intellect rather than in a sexual manner.

An alternative account by Dictys Cretensis claims that Ganymede was actually abducted by Cretans rather than by the gods themselves.