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Aglauros

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Daughter of Cecrops who defied Athena’s command and was turned to stone; her story warns against impiety and curiosity toward divine secrets.

Detailed Definition
Aglauros, daughter of King Cecrops, opened a forbidden chest containing Erichthonius and, driven mad by Athena, leapt to her death. Her tale warns against curiosity and disobedience. In poetry, she appears as a cautionary figure representing fatal transgression and the consequences of defying divine will.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ovid’s Metamorphoses recounts how Aglauros, out of envy, tried to prevent Hermes from seeing Herse and was turned to stone; Apollodorus describes Aglauros’s role in the birth of Erichthonius; In Attic myth, Aglauros is honored as a protective deity of Athens; Pausanias notes shrines to Aglauros on the Acropolis; Aglauros appears in Renaissance allegory as a figure of curiosity and disobedience.
Additional Notes
Aglauros, an Athenian princess, is punished for disobedience—either by opening a forbidden box (containing Erichthonius) or blocking Hermes’ access to her sister Herse—and turned to stone. Ovid’s Metamorphoses (Book 2) uses her as a cautionary tale about envy and curiosity. Her cult on the Acropolis suggests historical religious significance. Poetry students should consider how her petrification contrasts with other metamorphoses (e.g., Daphne’s escape): Aglauros’s transformation is punitive, not redemptive. Related: Herse, Pandrosos, Hermes, Athenian autochthony myths.
Also Known As
Aglauros the Curious Athenian Princess Sister of Herse Guardian of the Acropolis
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