Klytia is asteroid #73, of the type S, and the smallest of the first one-hundred numbered asteroids. Klytia’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 2.67 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.04, a period of revolution of 1 589 days, and an inclination of 2.4 degrees. Klytia was discovered by the American astronomer Horace Parnell Tuttle.

Klytia is named after Klytía (Κλυτία), a girl or nymph from Greek mythology or rather from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Klytía (Κλυτία) is the daughter of the Persian king Orchamos (Ορχάμος) and Eurynomê (Εὐρυνόμη). The latter is a frequent name for women in Greek mythology, who aren’t identical. But Klytía (Κλυτία) in Greek mythology exclusively is the name of an Okeanid. Klytía (Κλυτία) from the Metamorphoses has a sister, who is named Leukothóē (Λευκοθόη). Some authors insist that the tale is older than the story from Ovid and claim that certain names would have been changed. So there are different versions of the names. Either the god Apollon or the god Helios fell in love with Leukothóē (Λευκοθόη). Klytía (Κλυτία) beforehand was the lover of this god. Ovid like always turns the god into a rapist, who first disguises as the mother of Leukothóē (Λευκοθόη) in order to enter her chamber, then confesses his love to her, and then rapes her. So Klytía (Κλυτία) feels jealous and neglected. This reveals how serious or not rape is meant by Ovid. Klytía (Κλυτία) told their father that Leukothóē (Λευκοθόη) has premarital sex. Their father punished Leukothóē (Λευκοθόη) by burying her alive and killed her this way. Then Apollon or Helios turned her corpse into a frankincense tree. The god scorned Klytía (Κλυτία) due to her partial responsibility for the death of her sister. Klytía (Κλυτία) sat nude on a rock for nine days without eating and drinking anything, just watching the Sun and so turning into a plant, that always follows the Sun. Most likely into a heliotrope. Other plants got suggested, too, because Ovid isn’t clear in this point. Only the sunflower can be excluded because the sunflower was imported to Europe for the first time in 1530 A.D.

I find hard to imagine that Klytía (Κλυτία) really would have wanted the death of her sister Leukothóē (Λευκοθόη). Klytía (Κλυτία) certainly got rid of a rival this way, but this circumstance wasn’t to her advantage. So I have the impression that what Klytía (Κλυτία) did had unexpected consequences. So the asteroid Klytia should indicate to cause unexpected consequences. These are most likely not to the better of a situation, so Klytia also can be classified as a malefic.