Niobe

In Greek mythology, the Thebian queen and daughter of Tantalus and Dione. She suffered from excessive pride and boasted of her divine lineage and her offspring.

Niobe interrupted a festival being held for the goddess Leto with an angry, boastful tirade in which she chided the worshipers for paying tribute to Leto, who only had two children, whereas she, Niobe, was as well-favoured and well-bred as a goddess and furthermore, had fourteen children.

An irate Leto sent her twins Apollo and Artemis to avenge her honour. They killed all fourteen of Niobe's children and the story serves as a cautionary tale to remind humans of their mortality; that is, mortals can die at any time and accordingly should be humble. In some versions, a distraught Niobe kills herself, in others, she weeps incessantly and is finally turned into stone or marble with water running down a cliffside representing her never ceasing tears of sorrow.