On Unbelievable Stories (6-10)

It is said that Teiresias had the experience of being both male and female. This is the same mistaken idea that I wrote about in the case of Caineus.

They say that Pasiphae was in love with a bull. It was not, as many people believe, an animal from the herd (for it is laughable for the queen to desire a creature impossible to mate with). But rather, she fell in love with one of the locals, a man called Tauros [Bull]. She enlisted Daidalos’ help in her amorous scheme and, having given herself over to Tauros, gave birth to a son who bore an extraordinary resemblance to him. People accepted him as Minos’ son, but they noted that he looked like Tauros. So he was called by the portmanteau Minotauros.

The myth is handed down that the Harpies [the Snatchers] were women with wings who kept snatching Phineas’ food. Actually, one would assume that these women were courtesans who ravaged Phineas’ household and abandoned him, leaving him without even the food he needed. And whenever he recovered just enough the Harpies would turn up again, lay waste to everything, and depart, as courtesans do.

The account given about Perseus is that Hermes gave him winged sandals. Actually, Hermes created a training program for running, in which Perseus gained a reputation for excellence. Spectators were amazed at his speed and said that he had wings attached to his feet. It’s just like how we’re in the habit of saying about fast runners, he took wing.

It is reported that Glaucos was a prophet who lived in the sea. Actually, he lived on an island and to those sailing by he would always signal where they should set their course, thus predicting future events.