Thisbe

Thisbe is a feminine name of Greek origin, best known from the tragic love story of Pyramus and Thisbe. The name derives from Thisbe, an ancient town in Boeotia, which was itself supposedly named after a nymph. In Greek and Roman mythology, Thisbe is the lover of Pyramus; their story is preserved in Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Etymology

The name Thisbe (Θίσβη) is of uncertain meaning, but it is linked to a nymph in Boeotian mythology. The town of Thisbe was a real place in ancient Greece, mentioned by Homer.

Mythological Background

According to Ovid, Thisbe was a young Babylonian woman whose parents opposed her relationship with Pyramus. They communicated through a crack in a wall and planned to elope, meeting under a mulberry tree. Thisbe arrived first but fled when she encountered a lioness with a bloody mouth; she dropped her cloak, which was torn and stained by the lioness. Pyramus later found the cloak, assumed Thisbe was dead, and killed himself. Thisbe returned, found Pyramus dying, and also committed suicide. Their blood stained the mulberries red, explaining why the fruits are that color.

Notable Bearers

The name has been used in literature and art. For example, Thisbe appears in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream as a character in the play-within-a-play. A mention from Wikipedia notes the story's wide retelling; however, no exclusively notable historical or modern bearers are listed.