#procne

Tereus' Banquet (Tereus Confronted with the Head of his Son Itylus)

Now, however, I am nothing on my own. But often I have regarded the whole female sex in this way – that we are nothing. As young girls in our fathers’ homes, I think, we live the most pleasant life of all mortals; for ignorance always gives children a happy upbringing. But when we come to adolescence and awareness, we are pushed out and sold, away from our parents and our family gods, some of us to foreign men, some to barbarians, some into homes empty of joy, some into homes full of abuse. And this, when a single night has yoked us, we have to approve and regard as good. Spoken by Procne to the chorus of Thracian women, probably after she has been told that Philomela is dead.

Translation from "Sophocles: Selected Fragmentary Plays Vol I" by A. H. Sommerstein, D. Fitzpatrick and T. Talboy, p. 165.

I am nothing now, apart. But often I have examined the nature of women like this, How we are nothing. As girls we live the sweetest life of all human beings, I think, in our father’s house. But ignorance nurses children always with pleasure. When we come with full wits to adolescence, We are sent out and made ready for sale, Away from our paternal gods and our parents, Some sent to foreign husbands, some sent to barbarians; Some are sold to unhappy homes, some are wed to horrors. And then, once a single evening has joined us, We need to praise it and think that this is living well.

Translation by Setentiae Antiquae.

νῦν δ' οὐδέν εἰµι χωρίς. ἀλλὰ πολλάκις ἔβλεψα ταύτῃ τὴν γυναικείαν φύσιν, ὡς οὐδέν ἐσµεν. αἳ νέαι µὲν ἐν πατρὸς ἥδιστον, οἶµαι, ζῶµεν ἀνθρώπων βίον· τερπνῶς γὰρ ἀεὶ παῖδας ἁνοία τρέφει. ὅταν δ' ἐς ἥβην ἐξικώµεθ' ἔµφρονες, ὠθούµεθ' ἔξω καὶ διεµπολώµεθα θεῶν πατρῴων τῶν τε φυσάντων ἄπο, αἱ µὲν ξένους πρὸς ἄνδρας, αἱ δὲ βαρβάρους, αἱ δ' εἰς ἀγηθῆ δώµαθ', αἱ δ' ἐπίρροθα. καὶ ταῦτ', ἐπειδὰν εὐφρόνη ζεύξῃ µία, χρεὼν ἐπαινεῖν καὶ δοκεῖν καλῶς ἔχειν.

I certainly feel horrible for Itys, so I can't bring myself to say I like Procne, but I do admire her love for her sister.

Women in the good old days when divorce wasn't an option:

The Tower. Art by Lorna Bennett, from The Heroides Tarot.

As The Tower, Philomela and her sister Procne were betrayed by Procne's husband when he stole Philomela away to abuse her, she was olny able to alert her sister through a tapestry she wove in captivity.