Tereus
Family: Thrace · Role: king · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 5
In Book 1, Chapter 5, Tereus, king of Thrace, was married to Procne when he dishonoured Philomela and then murdered her. The account says he “compelled the women to punish him.”
By Book 1, Chapter 41, his subjects would no longer obey him because of his conduct toward Philomela, and he committed suicide at Megara. In Book 10, Chapter 4, tradition at Daulis says women served Tereus his son, and that he was changed into a hoopoe; Philomela, changed into a bird, was said to fear both Tereus and his country.
Relationship record
Life events
- Tereus dishonoured Philomela and subsequently murdered her.(Book 1 · Chapter 5)
- With: Philomela
- “They say that Tereus (though married to Procne) dishonoured Philomela, not acting according to the law of the Greeks: and, having still further murdered the damsel, he compelled the women to punish him.”
- Tereus committed suicide at Megara.(Book 1 · Chapter 41 · 📍 Megara)
- “And he committed suicide at Megara”
- Women served Tereus his son, producing mankind’s first recorded instance of cannibalism.(Book 10 · Chapter 4 · 📍 Daulis)
- “It was here at Daulis according to tradition that the women served up his son to Tereus, and this was the first recorded instance of cannibalism among mankind.”
- Tradition says Tereus was changed into a hoopoe.(Book 10 · Chapter 4 · 📍 Daulis)
- “And the hoopoe, into which tradition says Tereus was changed, is in size little bigger than a quail”
Book 1 · Chapter 5
- married with Procne “They say that Tereus (though married to Procne)”
- with Philomela (interaction) “and, having still further murdered the damsel, he compelled the women to punish him”
Book 1 · Chapter 41
- married with Procne (Married couple.) “Tereus, who married Procne the daughter of Pandion”
- enemies with Philomela (Tereus committed vile conduct against Philomela.) “And his subjects would no longer obey Tereus after his vile conduct to Philomela”
- with Philomela (Tereus committed vile conduct against Philomela.) “his subjects would no longer obey Tereus after his vile conduct to Philomela”
Book 10 · Chapter 4
- with Philomela (Philomela feared Tereus.) “And the Phocians say that when Philomela became a bird she was in dread both of Tereus and his country.”
- enemies with Philomela “and the Phocians say that when Philomela became a bird she was in dread both of Tereus and his country.”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.