Io

In the beautiful land of Argolida, where the mountains meet the plains and the rivers dance under the bright sun, there lived a beautiful young girl named Io. Io was the daughter of Inachus, king of Argos, and she held a special place in her father's heart, as well as in the whole city.

Io, with her bright eyes and kind heart, served as priestess of Hera, the great goddess of Olympus. Every day she went to the temple and tended the fires, the offerings and prayed with devotion.

Io - Zeus

One day, however, Zeus, the mighty god of the gods, saw her and was enchanted by her beauty and purity. Wanting to approach her without incurring Hera's wrath, he approached her in secret. However, it did not take Hera long to realize what was happening and she decided to punish Io for the attention Zeus was paying her.

Transformation into a cow

In one magical move, Zeus transformed Io into a beautiful white cow. To protect her from Hera's jealousy, he hid her away.

The Argos

However, Hera, who understood the trick, asked for the cow as a gift and had Argos, a creature with a hundred eyes, guard it. Argus never slept with all his eyes, so it was impossible for Io to escape.

Release

Zeus, however, could not bear to see his beloved Io in such misery. He sent Hermes, the god of messages, to free her. Hermes, through his cleverness, managed to put Argus to sleep and kill him, freeing Io.

Horsefly

Despite her freedom, Io was still not safe. Hera sent a terrible fly to bite her incessantly, forcing her to wander the world. Io traveled to many countries, from the mountain ranges of Greece to the plains of Asia and the hot lands of Egypt.

Human again

Eventually, she arrived in Egypt, where the fly stopped chasing her and Io regained her human form. There she gave birth to a son, Epaphos, who became a great king. Despite all her trials, Io found peace and happiness in the distant land of Egypt.