THE ROYAL HOUSE OF ATHENS

King Erechtheus

Cecrops Procne and Philomela

Procris and Cephalus

Orithya and Boreas

Creusa and Ion

cecrops

• The first King of Attica, who had no human ancestor, half-human and half-dragon.

• He as the person responsible for Athena’s becoming the protector of Athens.

• He is the arbiter of Athens. • He is the grandfather of Theseus.

During his time, Athens was fought by a god and a goddess. Since he is the arbiter he decided to whom it ill be belong. So, he give it to goddess Athena, which made god Poseidon angry because the god wanted it desperately. There was a battle between the god and the goddess in the middle of the city. There was a votation but since there are more women than men still Athena won.

Procne and Philomela

Procne as married to Tereus son of Ares and they have a son named Itys. She was longing from her home and missed her family. She begged her husband to go to her home and ask her father to get her sister Philomela because she misses her much. Her wish was granted for her husband went to her home. But, when Tereus saw Philomela, he fall in love with her. As they travel to Procne’s place, Tereus lied to Philomela that her sister died. He forced her to marriage, but after sometime she knew that it was a lie. She was so angry and told Tereus that the world would know what he did to her. Tereus was furious so he cut off the tongue of Philomela to shut her and left her into a strongly guarded men.

Tereus told Procne that her sister died as they travel. Procne mourned so much for a very terrible news. It was that time that writing was not still discovered or invented. But, because her uniqueness and creative on her own way, Philomela was able to send her sister of what was the truth through a wondrous tapestry and with the help of the old woman who attended her.

When Procne saw the tapestry she understood and knew the truth. She went to her sister with the help of the old woman and took her to the palace. Because of her anger and hatred she killed his son and cooked him to serve to his husband for supper. Tereus was eating then and she told him that it was his son. Tereus cannot move for a moment. The sisters then fled but they were caught, however they were not killed for they were turn into birds by the gods. Procne into a nightingale and Philomela into a swallow.

Procris and Cephalus

Procris is the niece of the unfortunate women and was married happily with Cephalus a grandson of the King of the Winds. But only a few weeks he was carried off by a goddess by no less a personage than Aurora herself, the goddess of the dawn. The goddess was in love with him. But, he is not faithless to his wife for she was the only one on his heart. Aurora seemed to proved that she cannot win his heart so she let him go but she told him that is his loyalty was as firm and as true as his wife. This made him to get jealous. Aurora disguises him so that he will pretend as a stranger. He courted his wife and told her things that would make her give up in longing and still loving him.

But, she always told him that her heart belongs to her husband. Until one day she was almost giving in. That was enough for Cephalus. He told her wife that he was her husband, she was a traitor and shameless. Upon knowing this, her wife turned and left him. She went to the mountains and was full of hatred to the race of men. Her husband followed her asking for forgiveness. But later, she forgave him. Everything was fine again, but he killed her accidentally when they a have a hunting on one fine day.

Orithyia and Boreas

Boreas the North wind fall in love with Orithyia, but her father Erechthus and the people of Athens opposed this because he came from North and Tereus came there too that made Procne and Philomela end up in a tragedy. They were so confident and underestimated of what Boreas can do. He abducted her and they have two sons, Zetes and Calais went on the Quest of the golden Fleece with Jason.

Creusa and Ion

One day when this beautiful, young lady was gathering crocuses, she was caught up in the arms of a man and brought her to a cave near. He was the god Apollo, he made love with her that was the cause of her early pregnancy. Because of her fear she never told her family and when the time comes that she will give birth, she put the child on the cave and let him die. After sometime, she was married to Xuthus. They don’t have a child and Xuthus was longing to have. They went to the oracle of Delphi which was Apollo’s temple located. All this years she hated Apollo so much. She was sad about her son that she even went back to the cave and she found nothing left in there. At Delphi, she found a young man singing and serving the temple, his name was Ion. There they knew each other as Mother and son because of Athena’s appearance and news that Apollo told that Ion is his and Creusa’s son. Ion was adopted by Xuthus to be his son. But still Creusa hated Apollo of he did to her.

by: Mary Ann L. Rone