In Greek mythology Dryope was the daughter of king Dryopas, safeguarding her father’s livestock nearby Mount Oeta. The Amadryades lured her into their company and taught her songs and dances that the Gods liked. As soon as God Apollo laid eyes on her he fell in love. In order for him to get closer, he disguised by transforming himself into a turtle. After the nymphs had enjoyed themselves with the said animal Dryope decided to bring it to the palace. In an opportune moment Apollo transformed himself from a turtle into a snake, but Dryope, even though she got scared, did not breathe a word of this to her parents. She got married as fast as she could to Andraimonas, son of Oxylos. Amfissos who was the off-spring of this union founded the city that was named after him.
Years passed and one day, when Dryope decided to visit the temple of Apollo, erected by her son, to make sacrifice to the Amadryades, they lifted their veils out of friendship and took her with them. A huge poplar tree grew on that site and a water spring issued forth from the ground.
Ovid mentions a different version of the story, in which Dryope, when Amfissos was still a baby, went up the mountain by a lake with crystal waters. She wished to make a sacrifice to the nymphs but suddenly she saw a tree with amazing flowers, and she decided to pick a few to give to Amfissos. Little did she know that this particular tree was Lotis, the nymph. Blood started pouring out of the tree’s branches. Lotis’s wrath made her turn Dryope into a similar tree as herself. A crowd of girls witnessed from afar the incident and were careless enough to recount the incident to others. They were, too, transformed into pine trees.