TEREUS, one of Mars's descendants, was king of Thrace. When his wife Procne desired to see her sister, Tereus went to Athens to fetch Philomela. Seized by a violent lust for Philomela, he took her to the Thracian woods and raped her, cut out her tongue when she threatened to tell of his deed, and shut her up in a house. Philomela wove her story in a tapestry and sent it to her sister, who first rescued her sister, then avenged herself on Tereus. She cut up and cooked their son Itys and fed him to his father. After Tereus had eaten, she told him what his dinner consisted of, and as he rushed upon her with his sword, he was changed into a hoopoë, while Procne became a swallow and Philomela a nightingale (Met VI.424-674; OM VI.2217-3684).

The swallow sings her sorrowful lay, how Tereus has taken her sister, Tr II.64-70. The full story appears in LGW 2228-2393, and the poet traces Tereus's cruelty to his ancestor Mars. He omits Procne's terrible vengeance. [Pandion: Philomene: Proigne]

Tereus appears eight times in medial positions, Tr II.69; LGW 2234, 2243, 2270, 2289, 2342. 2363, 2389; and once in final rhyming position, LGW 2315.