
Greek mythology
Io
The maiden Zeus turned into a wandering white heifer
- Mythology
- Greek mythology
- Group
- Mortal
- Appears in
- Io and the Jealousy of Hera
Io is a priestess of Hera loved by Zeus, who transforms her into a white heifer to hide the affair from his wife. Hera, unfooled, sets the hundred-eyed Argus to guard her, and when Hermes slays the watchman, sends a maddening gadfly to drive her across the earth. She wanders from Greece to Egypt, swimming the strait that takes her name, the Bosphorus, until Zeus at last restores her.
Related figures

Real episode from the app
Io and the Jealousy of Hera
Chapter 1
00:00--:--
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Io?
- Io is a priestess of Hera loved by Zeus, who transforms her into a white heifer to hide the affair from his wife. Hera, unfooled, sets the hundred-eyed Argus to guard her, and when Hermes slays the watchman, sends a maddening gadfly to drive her across the earth.
- Which mythology does Io belong to?
- Io belongs to Greek mythology.
- Which stories does Io appear in?
- Io appears in Io and the Jealousy of Hera, told as chaptered audio dramas in MythologyNow.
Cite this page
APA
MythologyNow. (2026). Io. https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/ioMLA
"Io." MythologyNow, 2026, https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/io.Chicago
MythologyNow. "Io." Accessed 2026. https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/io.