Editing Io (mythology) (section)

=== Io and Zeus ===
Io was a priestess of the goddess [[Hera]] in [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]],<ref name=OCD /><ref name="2.1.3"/> whose cult her father Inachus was supposed to have introduced to Argos.<ref name="OCD"/> [[Zeus]] noticed Io, a mortal woman, and lusted after her. In the version of the myth told in ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'' she initially rejected Zeus' advances, until her father threw her out of his house on the advice of oracles.<ref name=OCCCL>{{cite book|last1=Howatson|first1=M.C. L.|last2=Chivers|first2=I.|title=The Oxford Concise Companion to Classical Literature|date=1993|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford, England|isbn=0-19-282708-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/conciseoxfordcom00mcho/page/288 288–9]|url=https://archive.org/details/conciseoxfordcom00mcho/page/288}}</ref> According to some stories, Zeus then turned Io into a [[Cattle|heifer]] in order to hide her from his wife;<ref name=OCD /> others maintain that Hera herself transformed Io.<ref name=OCCCL /><ref>[[Aeschylus]], ''[[The Suppliants (Aeschylus)|Suppliants]]'', [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/aeschylus-suppliants/2009/pb_LCL145.325.xml 291&ndash;9 (pp. 324, 325)].</ref>

In the version of the story in which Zeus transformed Io, the deception failed, and Hera begged Zeus to give her the heifer as a present, which, having no reason to refuse, he did. Pitying the unfortunate girl, [[Gaia]], the goddess of the earth, created the [[violet (plant)|violet]] ({{langx|grc|ἴον|ion}}), so the cow could eat, thus growing "from her from whom it has its name", based on incorrect [[folk etymology]]. The various colours of the violet (red, purple, white) changed on account of Io's life, red for the blushing maiden, purple for the cow, white for the stars.<ref>''[[Geoponica]]'' [https://archive.org/details/Geoponica02/page/n113/mode/2up?view=theater 6.22]</ref><ref>Severus, ''Narrations'' 1</ref>{{sfn|Ascherson|1884|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=pQLj-Zg9UdYC&pg=PA18 18-19]}} Hera then sent [[Argus Panoptes]], a giant who had 100 eyes, to watch Io and prevent Zeus from visiting her, and so Zeus sent [[Hermes]] to distract and eventually slay Argus. According to Ovid, he did so by first lulling him to sleep by playing the panpipes and telling stories.<ref>Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'', I.650-730</ref>  Zeus freed Io, still in the form of a heifer. In some myths, Hera uses Argus' eyes to decorate her peacock's feathers to thank the giant for his help.

[[File:Jupiter and Io (Paris Bordone) - Gothenburg Museum of Art - GKM 0715.tif|thumbnail|[[Paris Bordone]], ''Jupiter and Io''. [[Gothenburg Museum of Art]]|left]]

In order to exact her revenge, Hera sent a [[Gadfly (mythology)|gadfly]] to sting Io continuously, driving her to wander the world without rest. Io eventually crossed the path between the [[Propontis]] and the [[Black Sea]], which thus acquired the name [[Bosphorus|Bosporus]] (meaning ''ox passage''), where she met [[Prometheus]], who had been chained on Mt. [[Caucasus]] by Zeus. Prometheus comforted Io with the information that she would be restored to human form and become the ancestress of the greatest of all heroes, [[Heracles]] (Hercules). 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, Danaus, eventually returned to Greece with his fifty daughters (the [[Danaïdes|Danaids]]), as recalled in [[Aeschylus]]' play ''[[The Suppliants (Aeschylus)|The Suppliants]]''.

The myth of Io must have been well known to [[Homer]], who often calls Hermes ''Argeiphontes'', which is often translated as "Argus-slayer", though this interpretation is disputed by [[Robert Beekes]]. [[Walter Burkert]]<ref>Burkert, ''Homo Necans'' (1974) 1983:164 note 14, giving bibliography.</ref> notes that the story of Io was told in the ancient epic tradition at least four times of which we have traces: in the ''[[Danais (epic)|Danais]]'', in the ''[[Phoronis (epic poem)|Phoronis]]''—[[Phoroneus]] founded the cult of Hera, according to Hyginus' ''[[Fabulae]]'' 274 and 143—in a fragment of the Hesiodic ''Aigimios'', as well as in similarly fragmentary Hesiodic ''[[Catalogue of Women]]''. A mourning commemoration of Io was observed at the [[Heraion of Argos]] into classical times.

The ancients connected Io with the Moon,<ref>[[Eustathius of Thessalonica]] commentary on ''[[Dionysius Periegetes]]'', 92; the Byzantine encyclopedia [[Suda]] ''s.v.'' "Io", [[Ancient Macedonian language|Hesychius]], ''s.v.'' "Io".</ref> and in [[Aeschylus]]' ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'', where Io encounters Prometheus, she refers to herself as "the horned virgin". From her relationship with Phoroneus, as sister (or descendant), Io is sometimes called Phoronis.<ref>Tsagalis, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lL0vDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA409 p. 409], Peck, [https://books.google.com/books?id=WQhKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA200 p. 200]; e.g. [[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/ovid-metamorphoses/1916/pb_LCL042.49.xml?rskey=r5Ud7G&result=1&mainRsKey=f4g7xg 1.668], [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/ovid-metamorphoses/1916/pb_LCL042.97.xml?mainRsKey=f4g7xg&result=1&rskey=r5Ud7G 2.524].</ref>

According to the [[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]] by [[William Smith (lexicographer)|William Smith]], Io at some point landed at [[Damalis (town)|Damalis]], and the [[Chalcedon]]ians erected a bronze cow on the spot.<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DD%3Aentry+group%3D1%3Aentry%3Ddamalis-bio-1 A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Damalis]</ref><ref>The source wrongly  quotes Symeon Mag. de Constant. Porphyr. p. 729, ed. Bonn; comp. Plb. 5.43. As a source but it is actually Plb.4.43.)</ref>