Hero and Leander
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Hero and Leander" by Christopher Marlowe is a poem written in the late 16th century that retells the Greek myth of two young lovers separated by the Hellespont. Hero, a chaste priestess of Venus in Sestos, meets Leander from Abydos at a festival. He falls desperately in love and convinces her to abandon her vow of chastity. Each night, guided by her lamp, Leander swims across the dangerous strait to reach her tower. Their passion unfolds amid extravagant imagery and violent emotion, but Marlowe's sudden death left the poem unfinished.
- Leander (Greek mythology)
- Hero (Greek mythology)
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #18781. Hero and Leander on Wikipedia.
More free books by Christopher Marlowe
About Christopher MarloweThe Tragical History of Doctor Faustus
Tamburlaine the Great — Part 1
The Jew of Malta
The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3)
The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 2 (of 3)
Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2
Edward the Second
Massacre at Paris
The Life and Death of Doctor Faustus Made into a Farce
The Tragedy of Dido Queene of Carthage
Hero and Leander and Other Poems
