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Metamorphoses · Character

Tereus

A Thracian king who marries an Athenian princess, then betrays her with an act of violence that turns his own household into a hunting ground.

supporting

Also known as O Tereus

First appearance: peasants of lycia transformed to frogs

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Tereus enters the poem as a favored ally, the husband Procne's father trusts enough to send his second daughter across the sea with. What he does to Philomela in a Thracian cabin — and then hides by mutilation and a lie…

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See Tereus in peasants of lycia transformed to frogs

Character Web

6 connections

A slice of how Tereus sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

PHPhilomelaIOIoMIMidasMEMedeaAPApolloTETereus

Relationship types

  • Rivalry
  • Other

Character groups

  • Transformation through desire and violence
  • Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Telethusa’s de…

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Relationships

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Tereus in peasants of lycia transformed to frogs

In the story

Tereus appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Tereus unlock in the free preview.

See Tereus in peasants of lycia transformed to frogs