Io

Greek The beautiful daughter of the river god Inachus, and a priestess of Hera. Hera's husband, the great god Zeus, fell in love with Io. To protect Io from the wrath and jealousy of Hera, Zeus changed Io into a pretty white heifer (a young cow). Hera was not deceived. She asked Zeus for the heifer and Zeus was forced to hand over Io. Hera put Io under the care of the hundred-eyed Argus (1), who watched her night and day, for his eyes never closed. Stricken with remorse, Zeus sent the god Hermes to rescue Io. Hermes told long stories and sang songs until all the eyes of Argus closed in sleep. Then Hermes cut off the monster's head and released Io. Io fled, but Hera, still jealous, sent a gadfly to torment her. Io eventually reached Egypt, where at last she became a woman again and bore Zeus a son, Epaphus. It is said that the Ionian Sea is named after Io, for she swam across it. The Bosporus, a narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, is also named after her. (Bosporus means "cow ford," a crossing for cows.) Some say that the strange story of Io had its origin in pre-Hellenic religion, when perhaps Io was a moon goddess. It is said that moon goddesses wore horns, as Io did as a heifer. Some accounts say that Io was but one aspect of the goddess Hera, ancient Earth Mother, often described as "ox-eyed."