Admetus & Alcestis

Apollo killed a bunch of cyclops, and as a punishment Pluto condemned him to work for Admetus, a mortal. He marries Alcetis, but shortly after he begins to get really sick.

Apollo convinces the Fates to let Admetus live, and they agree on the condition that someone will die for him. Admetus is pleased, for he is sure that someone will be willing to sacrifice himself for him. But his most loyal servants, his bravest soldiers, his best friends, and his parents are unwilling to let go of their lives for him.

Finally, Alcestis offered her life. Admetus was heartbroken, but he couldn't change his agreement with the fates and as he got better, his wife got sicker. Finally, Hercules came along and the story is that he slept outside Alcestis' room the night she was due to die and chased away Death.

I think it's very true that no one would have sacrificed himself for the king, no matter how much they liked him. I read this book once, and it talked about, "man's natural abhorrence of Death," and how no matter how much you loved someone, and how willing you would be to herd a million turtles bare-footed over the hot coals of earth for them, you could never die for them if you had time to think about it (unlike those battle scenes where someone takes a bullet for their best friend). So I agreed with this myth completely.