Theano

The wife of Metapontus, king of Icaria. He demanded of her that she bear children to him, or leave the kingdom. She, in fear, sent to the shepherds asking them to find a child she could present to the king. They sent her the two babies they had found, and she presented them to Metapontus as her own. These children were Aeolus III and Boeotus, who had been exposed by their grandfather. Theano later gave birth to two sons but Metapontus had by that time become exceedingly fond of the first two.

Theano sought to get rid of them and save the kingdom for her own sons. When Metapontus went out to perform sacrifices to Artemis Metapontina, Theano seized the opportunity to reveal to her sons that Aeolus and Boeotus were not her own and instructed them to murder the older boys during a hunt trip. When they had gone out in the mountains they started fighting, but Aeolus and Boeotus, with the aid of Poseidon, overcame their attackers and killed them. Upon learning about the deaths of her natural sons Theano committed suicide.

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