Aedon
Aedon, in Greek mythology, a daughter of Pandareus of Ephesus. According to Homer (Book XIX of the Odyssey), she was the wife of Zethus, who with his brother Amphion was the joint king of Thebes. She had only two children and envied her sister-in-law, Niobe, who had many. She planned to murder Niobe’s eldest son in his sleep, but by mistake killed her own son, Itylus, who was asleep in the same room. Zeus took pity on Aedon in her grief and changed her into a nightingale; her song was a lament for her dead son.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Aedon
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
31 March 2020
Access Date:
February 23, 2025