* This chapter describes a series of myths concerning the earliest kings and queens of Athens, before Theseus became king.

* King Erectheus had two sisters called Procne and Philomela; Procne's husband Tereus of Thrace fell in love with Philomela, which led to deceit and tragedy.

* The gods turned all three of them into birds, which explains certain characteristics of some birds.

* These two sisters had three nieces called Procris, Orithyia, and Creüsa, who all had unfortunate tales.

* These myths show how cruel the gods could sometimes be; they often seemed to care very little for mortals, only concerned with their own whims and desires.

* By the 5th century the Greeks were beginning to doubt the truth of the myths, and were considering whether such tales represented the gods in a worthy light.

* An idea was developing that gods should behave better than mortal men and set a good example. If this were the case, perhaps the myths did not represent truth.

* These myths also helped establish a mythical past for Athens, connected to the gods. This gave the Athenians a sense of an important identity.
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