King Candaules) is a Grand ballet in four acts and six scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Cesare Pugni.
Her incredible technical abilities were especially showcased in the celebrated Pas de Venus of the second act, in which she performed five pirouettes sur la pointe, which caused a great sensation among the audience.
In the background is the cave of Pythia of Sardis The kings and people of Lydia come to this spot to question the oracle as to the future.
Pythia emerges from the cave amid clouds of smoke and, knowing that King Candaules is about to consult her, commands everyone to leave.
He informs the King that if he wishes to consult the oracle, he must strike the shield that hangs beside Pythia's cave.
She tells him that he kidnapped the true king in his infancy, placed him in the forest at the mercy of wild beasts and seized the crown himself.
Owls appear carrying in their claws a roll of papyrus, which predicts that Candaules will die an unnatural death.
Sentries are being changed, soldiers are furbishing armour and officers are passing in and out of the King's tent for their orders.
She is attended by Amazons and, under her direction, warlike games are played; meanwhile, Candaules's warriors practise the testudo.
Other soldiers attack Gyges, who is almost overcome when a party of Candaule's men come to the rescue, led by the King.
The rear of the procession is formed by the notables of Lydia, and a gold chariot drawn by slaves.
All at once, the sky grows dark and the priests and people look away in fear, while Candaules, in his arrogance, seems to defy the powers of Heaven.
In the background is a bathing-pool of pink and while marble, adorned with a fountain and surrounded with flowers Nisia is seen standing beneath a curtain and attended by female slaves.
The priests are afraid, for Venus has already given signs of her displeasure, since hunger, pestilence and other miseries have fallen on the land and are spreading throughout Lydia.
He replies that the goddess insists that Nisia shall be punished by being forced the renounce her title of Queen.
The sky darkens, thunder rolls, lightning flashes and the tremor of an earthquake is felt.
Candaules induces Nisia to renounce her title and she flings her gold circlet to the ground.
The sky clears and the Priest returns thanks to Heaven, but Nisia looks contemptuously at Candaules and seeks consolation from her women.
She gazes sadly on this symbol of earthly power, conscious of the gloomy future that lies before her.
Nisia conceals her displeasure, but vows vengeance, Candaules, still in love with his wife, tries to calm her.
Gyges takes the King's crown and presents it to Nisia who, surprised, looks at Pythia, who reminds her of her prediction.
The hall is lit with bronze scones A betrothal feast is in progress, for Gyges has become King of Lydia and is to wed Nisia.
Gyges, crowned, leads his bride towards the table, places a hand over the holy flame and takes a vow.
Gyges, enraptured with Nisia, ignores the warning, takes the Queen towards the gardens and commands the festival to begin.
She dances in a trance and empties another cup, which is filled by the ghost of Candaules, who suddenly tears the crown from her head.
Terrified, she swoons and Gyges hurries to her side and endeavours to lead her to her throne, but again, the ghost appears.
At last, exhausted, she falls in Gyges's arms, but the ghost points to his grave, where he awaits his guilty wife.
She tells Gyges not to grieve, but to thank Heaven for having preserved him from death and she indicates a cup of poison that Nisia had prepared for him.
The new version served as a virtuoso pas de deux for Galina Ulanova as Diana and Vakhtang Chabukiani as Actaeon.
[4] In fact, Endymion was the lover of Luna the Roman Goddess of the Moon (Selene in Greek mythology) and never had any association with Diana at all.