What is the story of Procne and Philomela?
In Greek mythology, Philomela was the daughter of Pandion, a legendary king of Athens. Her sister Procne married Tereus, king of Thrace, and went to live with him in Thrace. After rescuing her sister, Procne planned revenge on her husband. She killed their son Itys and served him to Tereus for supper.
Why does Procne kill Itys in metamorphosis?
To take revenge from her husband, Procne killed their son Itys, boiled him and served him as a meal to Tereus. After Tereus had finished, Procne presented the severed head to Tereus, who, enraged, took an axe and started chasing the two sisters.
What did Procne do in revenge?
Procne sought revenge by serving up her son Itys for Tereus’s supper. On learning what Procne had done, Tereus pursued the two sisters with an ax. But the gods took pity and changed them all into birds—Tereus into a hoopoe (or hawk), Procne into a nightingale, and Philomela into a swallow.
Why did Minerva destroy Arachne?
She advises Arachne to beg the goddess for pardon. In contrast, Arachne depicts many immoral actions of the gods and their mistreatment of mortals. Although Arachne’s weaving is without fault, Minerva is unable to handle her defeat, and destroys Arachne’s weaving and begins to hit the girl with a shuttle.
What is the meaning of Tereus?
Definition of Tereus : the husband of Procne who rapes his sister-in-law Philomela.
What is the meaning of Philomela?
nightingale
: an Athenian princess in Greek mythology raped and deprived of her tongue by her brother-in-law Tereus, avenged by the killing of his son, and changed into a nightingale while fleeing from him.
What happens to Philomela?
Mythology. While the myth has several variations, the general depiction is that Philomela, after being raped and mutilated by her sister’s husband, Tereus, obtains her revenge and is transformed into a nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), a bird renowned for its song.
Why does Philomela weave a tapestry?
In response to Tereus’s efforts to censor her, Philomela weaves a tapestry to communicate the crime of Tereus. She responds again to tyrannical power and overcomes the attempt to censor her.
How was Tereus punished?
noun Classical Mythology. a Thracian prince, the husband of Procne, who raped his sister-in-law Philomela and was changed into a hoopoe as a punishment.
What crime did Arachne commit?
After Arachne hanged herself out of shame, she was transformed into a spider. The myth both provides an aetiology of spiders’ web-spinning abilities and is a cautionary tale warning mortals not to place themselves on an equal level with the gods.
Was Arachne real?
Arachne was a girl who lived in Greece a long time ago. She was a very good weaver and spinner. She wove all sorts of beautiful pictures into her cloth, and people came from all around to see her beautiful cloth. But Arachne knew that she was good, and had too much pride.
What happened to Philomela?
How did Philomela get revenge on Tereus in Metamorphoses?
Philomela weaves a portrait of Tereus’s crime onto cloth and sends it to Procne. To get revenge, Procne slays Itys, her only child with Tereus, and serves him to Tereus as a meal. Procne and Philomela tell Tereus that he has eaten his son, and Tereus goes mad.
Who are Philomela and Procne in Greek mythology?
Philomela and Procne were sisters, daughters of Pandion, King of Athens. A Thracian man, Tereus, married Procne. However, Tereus desired his sister-in-law, Philomela, and he took her by force. Afterwards, he cut out her tongue so she couldn’t tell anyone what he had done.
Who are the Sisters of Tereus and Philomela?
Before we get to these questions, it might be worth recapping the story of Philomela by way of a brief plot summary. Philomela and Procne were sisters, daughters of Pandion, King of Athens. A Thracian man, Tereus, married Procne. However, Tereus desired his sister-in-law, Philomela, and he took her by force.
What did Tereus do to his sister in law?
However, Tereus desired his sister-in-law, Philomela, and he took her by force. Afterwards, he cut out her tongue so she couldn’t tell anyone what he had done. However, Philomela, although unable to speak, wove a tapestry which depicted Tereus’ crime, thus alerting Procne to what her husband had done to his own sister-in-law.