Love Stories from Mythology

Cephalus and Procris

Procris (Πρόκρις) was the daughter of King Erechtheus of Athens. Procris was the sister of Cecrops, Butes, Creusa, Oreithyia and other unnamed sisters.

Cephalus (Κέφαλος) was the son of Deion, the king of Phocis, and Diomede, daughter of Xuthus. Cephalus came to Athens and successfully wooed Procris.

According to Apollodorus, Procris was an unfaithful wife. One day, Cephalus discovered Procris in bed with her lover, Pteleon. Procris fled to Crete, where Minos fell in love with her. Minos gave her Laelaps, the magical hound that always catches it prey, and an infallible javelin that never miss its mark. Procris fearing the magic of Pasiphae, the wife of Minos, she returned to Athens.

Cephalus and Procris were reconciled, and Procris knowing that her husband loved to hunt, gave Laelaps and the infallible spear to Cephalus. They had a son named Arcesius, who was the father of Laertes.

In Ovid's Metamorphoses, Cephalus was out hunting a couple months after their marriage. Eos, the goddess of dawn, saw him in the woods, fell in love with him, and spirited him away to her home.

Eos tried to seduce Cephalus, which he rejected the goddess' love. Seeing that she could not win his love, she set him free. However, Eos managed to sow seed of doubt over his wife's faithfulness. Eos transformed him so that no one would recognise him. Cephalus thought to test his wife's love and loyalty to him.

Returning home, Procris was weeping over her husband's absence. Cephalus appeared to him disguised as a stranger. Cephalus foolishly tested her by trying to seduce her and offer her gold. Procris seduce the apparent stranger's advances, yet when she only slightly hesitated, Cephalus revealed his true identity. Enraged, he accused his wife of being unfaithful to him.

Overwhelmed by his accusation, she fled from home and joined Artemis, as one of goddess' companions. According to this version, it was Artemis gave Procris the hound Laelaps and the infallible spear.

Cephalus was still in love with her, and realising of his error in accusing his wife, he went to find Procris and apologise to her. The two were reconciled, Procris returned home with her husband.

Whichever version you have read, the ending was the same. They were happy, until one day, he went hunting. Procris followed her husband and hid in one of thickets. See movement in the thicket, Cephalus hurled the magic spear. Cephalus had killed his wife with the very gift that she gave to him.

Cephalus was grief-stricken. Cephalus was put on trial for Procris' death at Areopagus, and was banished from Athens. Cephalus went to Thebes, where he befriended Amphitryon, the stepfather of Heracles. Cephalus loaned Amphitryon his hound, Laelaps, because Amphitryon was hunting the Teumessus Vixen. Amphitryon gave Cephalus a large island, which he named Cephallenia, which he ruled.