Procne

Greek mythology

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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In Greek mythology, Procne was the wife of Tereus, king of Thrace. Tereus deceived Procne into believing her sister, Philomela, was dead, and then seduced or raped Philomela. To conceal his crime, Tereus cut out Philomela's tongue. Philomela revealed the truth to Procne by weaving the story into an embroidery. In revenge, Procne killed her own son, Itys, and served him to Tereus for dinner. When Tereus discovered the horrific act, he pursued the sisters. The gods intervened, transforming Tereus into a hoopoe, Procne into a swallow, and Philomela into a nightingale. This myth was famously retold in Ovid's Metamorphoses.12

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Tereus
…or of Phocis, who married Procne, daughter of Pandion, king of Athens. Pretending that Procne was dead, Tereus later seduced his wife’s sister Philomela and tricked her into a sham marriage. Other versions describe the encounter as a brutal rape. In order to hide his guilt, Tereus cut out Philomela’s…
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…or of Phocis, who married Procne, daughter of Pandion, king of Athens. Pretending that Procne was dead, Tereus later seduced his wife’s sister Philomela and tricked her into a sham marriage. Other versions describe the encounter as a brutal rape. In order to hide his guilt, Tereus cut out Philomela’s…
Read More