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"A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its lovliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing."
John Keats(1795-1821), from Endymion
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We were originally founded
by two young software developers who were obsessed with elegant
design. Fortunately for us, there happens to have been an
ancient Greek mythological character that is associated with
both youth and elegance. In most versions of the myth, Endymion
was the young and beautiful king of Elis, Greece. Captivated
by his beauty, the goddess Selene fell in love with him and
placed Endymion into an eternal sleep so that he would remain
young and beautiful forever.
The Endymion story has been the subject
of a long list of literatary works. One of the most famous
was the poem
quoted above by John Keats, Ryan's favorite English-language
poet. Endymion was also the subject of a play
by John Lyly, and a science fiction novel
by Dan Simmons that Ryan is quite fond of. There is also an
enormous Mardi Gras krewe
called "Endymion" in New Orleans.
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