Messapian shepherds

The Apulian shepherd is changed into olive tree, engraving by Crispijn van de Passe, ca. 1602.

In Greek and Roman mythology, the Messapian shepherds (Ancient Greek: Μεσσάπιοι) are the flock-tending inhabitants of Messapia (southern Apulia), an ancient region in the Italian Peninsula. They feature in two similar myths, where they offend local nymphs and are punished by them for their impiousness.