PROMETHEUS AND IO

This story is written by both Aeschylus and Ovid.

One day, while Prometheus was serving his punishment for his kindness toward
man, he had a strange visitor. The visitor looked like a cow but had the voice of a
girl who seemed mad with misery. As the visitor, Io, approached, Prometheus
recognized the visitor. He knew her story and he spoke her name.

When Io found out that the person chained to a rock with unbreakable adamanite
chains was Prometheus, they started to talk to each other. Prometheus told Io his
story and Io told him why she, once a princess and a happy girl, was turned into a
cow by Zeus.

After Zeus fell in love with Io, Hera grew jealous. When Hera found out about their
relationship, Zeus tried to hide himself and Io by wrapping a cloud around the earth.
He hoped that this cloud would be so thick that it would leave the place in darkness.

But Hera knew why this odd occurrence was happening. As Hera called off the
cloud, Zeus quickly transformed Io into a cow. He claimed that the cow had been
born from the earth. Hera did not believe this and she made Zeus give the cow to
her. Zeus reluctantly handed Io, in the form of a cow, to Hera, who had a plan to
keep her away from Zeus.

She handed Io into the charge of Argus. Since he had a hundred eyes, he was able
to sleep with some of his eyes and guard Io with the rest. Zeus, unable to withstand
Io's misery told Hermes to kill Argus. Hermes, knowing of Argus' abilities, bored the
Argus with stories and music. When Argus' eyes finally all fell asleep, Hermes killed
him but not before Hera took his eyes and placed them on her favorite bird, the
peacock.

Io thought she was free but once again, Hera sent to gad-fly to drive Io into
madness.

Prometheus tried to comfort Io, but he could only tell her to look to the future. After
speaking to Prometheus, Io wandered on. One part of a sea which she wandered
through was named after her (Ionian Sea) but real consolation came when she
reached the Nile. There, Zeus returned her to human form. They would have a son,
Epaphus, and live happily and in honor. Io's descendant in the future would
be Hercules. It is he that Prometheus would later owe his freedom to.
Prometheus

Prometheus was the rebel and wisest Titan. His name meant "forethought" and he
was able to foretell the future. He was the son of Iapetus and Clymene.
When Zeus revolted against Cronus, Prometheus deserted the other Titans and
fought on Zeus' side.

In all accounts, Prometheus was known as the protector and benefactor of man. He
gave mankind a number of gifts including fire. He also tricked Zeus into allowing
man to keep the best part of the animals sacrificed to the gods and to give the gods
the worst parts.

Prometheus had been chained on Mt. Caucasus by Zeus for teaching Man how to
make fire and tricking him into accepting the worse part of a sacrifice while the
mortals kept the better part (meat); every day, a giant eagle fed on
Prometheus' liver.

He was to be left there for all eternity or until he agreed to disclose to Zeus which of
Zeus' children would try to replace him. He was eventually rescued
by Hercules without giving in to Zeus.

Despite his agony, he comforted Io with the information that she would be restored
to human form and become the ancestress of the greatest of all heroes, Heracles. Io
escaped across the Ionian Sea to Egypt, where she was restored to human form by
Zeus. There, she gave birth to Zeus's son Epaphus, and a daughter as
well, Keroessa. She later married Egyptian king Telegonus. Their grandson, Danaos,
eventually returned to Greece with his fifty daughters (the Danaids), as recalled in
Aeschylus' play The Suppliants.

In Greek mythology, Io was a priestess of Hera in Argos, a nymph who was seduced
by Zeus, who changed her into a heifer to escape detection. Io's father is generally
given as Inachus..

Argus

The one that sees all. A man with many eyes. Early accounts say he had four eyes,
later a hundred. There are many accounts of his parentage. Argus was killed
by Hermes while he guarded Io for Hera.

Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene.

Hermes – messenger of the Gods.