Procris in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Procris

5 passages from 4 ancient authors that tell of Procris, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Procris was the daughter of the king of Athens, Erechtheus, and Queen Praxithea. She had two sisters, Creusa and Orithyia. She married Cephalus, son o... For the story in one place, read our article on Procris.

Homer (1)

Homer, Odyssey 11.225–332The women of oldPersephone sends up the ghosts of the women who were wives and daughters of heroes, and Odysseus questions each in turn. He sees Tyro, Antiope, Alcmene, Megara, Epicaste, Chloris, Leda, Iphimedeia, Phaedra, Procris, Ariadne, Maera, Clymene and Eriphyle. He then breaks off, saying that the night is late.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.15.1–3.16.2Erechtheus, Aegeus, Minos's war on Athens and the birth of TheseusPandion's sons divide his inheritance and Erechtheus becomes king; his daughters include Procris, killed accidentally by Cephalus, and Orithyia, carried off by Boreas. The section covers Cleopatra and Phineus, Eumolpus and the war with Erechtheus, who sacrifices his daughter, and Aegeus and his marriages. Minos, to avenge Androgeus, takes Megara through Scylla's treachery and imposes the tribute of youths and maidens for the Minotaur. It ends with the birth of Theseus to Aethra and his first two labours, where the surviving text of the Library breaks off.

Ovid (2)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.658–791Cephalus and ProcrisCephalus tells how he married Procris, and how Eos (Aurora), the goddess of dawn, saw him on Mount Hymettus and fell in love with him. She tried to part him from Procris by suggesting that his wife might not be true, and Cephalus, disguised, tests her and tempts her with gifts. Procris yields, and then flees in shame when he reveals himself, and the two are reconciled after she brings him gifts, a hound and a spear that never miss. The hound, chasing a monstrous fox, is turned to stone with it.
Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.792–865The death of ProcrisCephalus, who loves to hunt, calls on Aura, the breeze, to cool him, and someone who overhears thinks that he is speaking of a mistress. He tells Procris, who hides in the thicket to see, and when she moves in the bushes Cephalus, thinking she is a wild animal, throws the spear. Procris dies in his arms, begging him never to marry Aura, and Aeacus and his sons come in.

Pausanias (1)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 10.29.1–10Delphi: Polygnotus' painting of the underworld (2): Indolence, Ariadne, Phaedra, Theseus and PirithousPausanias continues the underworld painting with the comrades of Ulysses bringing black rams, the figure of Indolence plaiting a rope eaten by a she-ass, and Tityus. He describes Ariadne and Phaedra, with the account of Dionysus and the bridge at Zeugma, then Chloris, Thyia, Procris, Clymene, Megara and Eriphyle. Near them are Elpenor, Ulysses at the trench with Tiresias and Anticlea, and Theseus and Pirithous seated with their swords.