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Io

Greek mythology

Io

The maiden Zeus turned into a wandering white heifer

Mythology
Greek mythology
Group
Mortal

Listen to “Io and the Jealousy of Hera” in the app

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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.

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Real episode from the app

Io and the Jealousy of Hera

Chapter 1

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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
APAMythologyNow. (2026). Io. https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/io
MLA"Io." MythologyNow, 2026, https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/io.
ChicagoMythologyNow. "Io." Accessed 2026. https://www.mythologynow.app/en/gods/io.

Listen to the stories of Io

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