Io lived in the small town of Argos, in the house of his father, the river king Inah. One hot day young Io went to the river. Only she undressed and dived into the warm water, as the great thunderer himself appeared on the shore. He began to talk to the beautiful nymph about his love, caressed her and promised to make her a great goddess. And at this time Hera looked at Argos from Olympus and saw Zeus next to the beautiful nymph. She quickly flew to the ground and headed for the shore. But Zeus felt Hera's approaching and turned Io into a snow-white chick to hide his beloved from her.
But this did not save the poor Io. Hera guessed about Zeus' cunning and decided to outsmart him.
- I noticed that we had a wonderful white chick. I like her very much. Oh, my generous lord, I ask you to give it to me," she told her husband.
Zeus really didn't want to give Gere the white chick, but he couldn't refuse her.
As soon as Hera got hold of poor Io, she sent her away from Olympus and put a guard to her to watch over a hundred-eyed Argus. Io couldn't make a single extra move without Argus noticing it, a monster who didn't know how to sleep. His eyes slept in turn. While the two eyes were asleep, the other 98 were awake and watching Io. During the day he let her graze, and as soon as the night came, he locked her in a stable, and also tied her with a rope. Poor Io was lying in a dark stable on the cold ground and was crying. There was no one even to complain to her. One afternoon she was grazing outside her house and saw her sisters. But her sisters, the Nayads, did not recognize Io, and her father, Inach, did not recognize her. She followed them all day long, letting herself be stroked, caressed them. When Inach reached out to her with a juicy grass, Io began to lick his hands and kiss his hands, tears flowed out of her beautiful eyes. Only then did Inah realize who was standing in front of him. Argus and Io-Oh, I'm miserable," he cried bitterly and rushed to hug his daughter's neck - cows, kissed her, stroked her small horns. - I was proud of you, waited for my grandchildren, now you will take your husband from the herd, from the herd and your son will be yours. Even death will not save me from these torments now.
And so they stood, pressing against each other. But then Argus showed up and drove Io to distant pastures. Zeus couldn't see the suffering of poor Io anymore, he called Hermes the fastest leged man and sent him to the ground to save Io.
Hermes slipped to the ground, took off his flying sandals, picked up a cane and, pretending to be a shepherd, drove the goats to the top where the hundred-eyed Argus was sitting. Argus was bored alone and rejoiced at the shepherd's appearance.
- Come here," he shouted, "and sit next to me, waving his arms. You won't find any better grass than here. And there's plenty of shade here, too.
Hermes sat down next to the hundred-eyed guard, and they talked, so the day passed unnoticed. And by evening Hermes has played on a flute, and so well and long played, that has absolutely put to sleep Argus. All his hundred eyes were closed, and Hermes has grasped a sharp sword and has cut off his head.
Now Io was free, but the cruel Hera did not leave her alone anyway. She laid a huge gadfly on Io, who was following her everywhere. He was soaking up his terrible sting in the body of a snow-white chick that he caused her unbearable suffering. Poor Io, who had gone mad in pain and torment, wanted to escape from the gate. She raced through the woods and swamps, climbing into the wildest places, but found no rest anywhere. The ruthless gadfly kept up and drove her from country to country.
Finally, she ran to the Scythian country and saw a titanium Prometheus chained to the rock. And here she is.
- I don't know how much longer I have to endure the agony, and I ask the wise Prometheus to say so.
That's how poor Io finished her sad story.
Everyone was so shocked by the bitter fate and suffering of the beautiful Io that no one was the first to break the deep silence. Finally Prometheus spoke:
- Oh, believe me, Io! It is better not to know this than to know! You will suffer a lot more on your way, and you will have to go through a lot of countries. Your path full of suffering lies through the Scythian country, through the high snowy Caucasus, through the Amazonian country to the Bosporus Strait and to the sea, which will then be called Ionian by your name as soon as you cross it. You will find yourself in a country where horrible Gorgons live, and their heads are wriggled with filthy snakes instead of hair. Beware of them! Beware of dangerous vultures, who you will also meet on your difficult journey. Then you will finally reach the Bible Mountains, from where the streams of the Nile will fall. There, in the country where the full-flowing Nile flows, you will find the long-awaited and tormented peace. There, Zeus will give you back your true beautiful appearance, you will become a beautiful goddess Io again and give birth to a mighty son. He will rule over all Egypt and give birth to a glorious family of heroes. The hero who will come here and free me from my chains will also come from this family. His name will be Heracles.
Loudly and pitifully the poor Joe groaned and cried out lamentingly:
- About grief, grief! How to endure all that the cruel fate had prepared for me!