Aëdon
| Aëdon | |
|---|---|
Aëdon slays Itys, illustration from a Greek vase by JE Harrison and DS MacColl (1894) | |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Human, then nightingale |
| Gender | Female |
| Title | Queen |
| Significant other | Zethus, or Polytechnus |
| Children | Itylus/Itys, Neis |
| Relatives | |
| Homeland | Thebes, or Ephesus |
Aëdon (Ancient Greek: Ἀηδών, romanized: Aēdṓn, lit. 'nightingale') was in Greek mythology, the daughter of Pandareus of Ephesus. According to Homer, she was the wife of Zethus, and the mother of Itylus. Aëdon features in two different stories, one set in Thebes and one set in Western Asia Minor, both of which contain filicide and explain the origin of the nightingale, a bird in constant mourning.