TYRESIE. Tyresias was a legendary Theban seer. One day he saw two snakes mating, and he struck them apart with his staff. Because he had disturbed nature, the gods turned him into a woman, and he remained female for seven years. During the eighth year he saw two snakes coupling and did the same thing. Immediately, he became a man. Jupiter and Juno asked him to settle a dispute between them about who got more pleasure from sexual intercourse, and Tyresias said the woman did. Juno struck him blind for his insolence, but Jupiter gave him the gift of prophecy as compensation (Met III.316-338; OM III.999-1106; Confessio Amantis III.363-380, 746-767).

Lady Philosophy says that if God's foreknowledge is uncertain, if the things he foresees will either happen or not happen, how is such foreknowledge better than the ridiculous prophecy of Tyresie: "All that I say, either it shall be or it shall not be" Bo V, Prosa 3.132-136. This quotation is from Horace, Satire ii.5.59-60.

Tyresie is the French variant of Latin and Greek Tyresias.