#tereus

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

Tereus: It's been years father can I finally be de-birded?

Ares: No

Tereus: Why not!

Ares: Because you killed your brother, violated your sister-in-law, and ate your own child and I...don't even have a word for that and I'm the God of War.

Tereus: Oh come on the last one was unintentional!

Ares: And the fact that you think that's the only problem.

Tereus: Come on, we both wronged each other surely it evens out.

Ares: I am...amazed at your logic.

Tereus: Come on dad please....

Ares: Alright deal...but on one condition.

Tereus: Name it!

Ares: Athena has to decide your punishment.

Tereus:...

Ares: That's what I thought.

Tereus: ...Love you too dad.

Ares:...Love you too son.

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.

mythology aesthetics

TEREUS, PROCNE, PHILOMELA, & ITYS