VAMPIRES IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY

The first vampire may be traced to Greek mythology in the story of a young Italian man
named Ambrogio and love of his life, Selena. The story includes many features of
mainstream vampire tales such as passion, blood-sucking and extreme sun sensitivity.

According to the myth, Ambrogio fell in love with Selena after visiting the legendary
Oracle in the temple of Apollo, the sun god. He asked her to marry him, but little did he
know the jealous Apollo wanted her for his own. Apollo cursed Ambrogio by causing his
skin to burn whenever it was exposed to sunlight.

In desperation, Ambrogio turned to Hades, the god of the underworld, and then
Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, for help. After stealing Artemis’s silver bow to fulfill a
deal made with Hades, Artemis cursed Ambrogio so silver would burn his skin. She
later took pity on him, though, and gave him super strength, immortality, and fangs to
kill beasts to use their blood to write love poems to Selena.

Eventually, the mortal Selena escaped Apollo’s grasp and reunited with the immortal
Ambrogio. Artemis told Ambrogio he could make Selena immortal by drinking her blood
which would kill her body but make her spirit live on. Their combined blood could then
turn anyone who drank it into a vampire.

VLAD THE IMPALER

It’s thought Bram Stoker named Count Dracula after Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad
the Impaler. Vlad Dracula was born in Transylvania, Romania. He ruled Walachia,
Romania, off and