# Story of Tereus, Procne, and Philomela explained — Metamorphoses

> Chapter companion for Metamorphoses by Ovid.

## What happens

Tereus, king of Thrace, marries Procne and later rapes her sister Philomela, cutting out her tongue to silence her. Philomela weaves a tapestry revealing the crime, and Procne, in revenge, kills her son Itys and serves him as a meal to Tereus. The sisters flee, and all three are transformed into birds: Procne into a swallow, Philomela into a nightingale, and Tereus into a lapwing.

## Themes in this chapter

### Violence and Revenge

Procne's brutal revenge for Tereus's rape of Philomela drives the plot.

### Transformation and Metamorphosis

The sisters and Tereus are transformed into birds as a final metamorphosis.

## Character check-ins

### Tereus

King of Thrace, rapes Philomela and is served his son Itys as revenge.

### Philomela

Sister of Procne, raped by Tereus, later helps serve Itys to him.

### Procne

Wife of Tereus, kills her son Itys and serves him to her husband.

### Itys

Son of Tereus and Procne, killed and served as a meal to his father.

## Key lines

> The boundless passion boils within his breast, And his projecting soul admits no rest.

Tereus's uncontrollable lust for Philomela consumes him completely.

_Describes Tereus's obsessive desire._

> Within yourself your Itys you may find.

You have eaten your own son Itys.

_Procne reveals the horrific truth to Tereus._

> Now on real wings themselves they raise, And steer their airy flight by different ways.

The sisters are transformed into birds and fly away.

_Describes the metamorphosis of Procne and Philomela._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters/story-of-tereus-procne-and-philomela
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metamorphoses_se/chapters