In Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

, Aegypius (Αἰγυπιός), son of Antheus

Antheus

In Greek mythology, Antheus was:*A surname of Dionysus*Son of Agelaus and a soldier in the army of Dionysus*A youth of Halicarnassus who was loved and killed by Cleoboea *Father of Aegypius *A companion of Aeneas...

, son of Nomion, a Thessalian, was the lover of Timandre, a widow. Her son, Neophron

Neophron

Neophron of Sicyon was one of the most prolific of the ancient Greek dramatists, to whom are accredited one hundred and twenty pieces, of which only a few fragments of his Medea remain. This, it is said, Euripides used in his tragedy which bears the same title, although modern scholarship is...

, resented this relationship, and plotted against it by seducing Bulis (Βοῦλ-ις, -ιδος), Aegypius' mother. Neophron took Bulis to his house, having arranged for his mother to be out, and excused himself just when he knew Aegypius was accustomed to come visit Timandre; thus arranging for mother and son to sleep together, each believing the other someone else. Afterwards, Aegypius fell asleep, and Bulis recognized him. She grabbed a sword, and was just about to blind Aegypius and kill herself, when Aegypius woke up. Apollo

Apollo

Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...

 restored Aegypius's vision long enough for him to realize what had happened and changed all four of them into birds. The men became vultures, Timandra a sparrow-hawk, and Bulis a long-beaked bird that pecks out the eyes of fish. Grasping the situation, including Neophron's trick, he prayed to the gods to abolish all four of them. Zeus

Zeus

In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...

 heard his prayer, and answered by turning Aegypius and Neophron into vultures; Bulis into a pounx (πώυγξ) (perhaps a heron

Heron

The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....

), which lives on the eyes of fishes birds and snakes, since she was so fond to taking out eyes; and Timandre into an aegithalos

Aegithalos

Aegithalos is a songbird genus in the family Aegithalidae.It contains the following species:* White-necklaced Tit, Aegithalos fuliginosus* Rufous-fronted Tit, Aegithalos iouschistos* Black-browed Tit, Aegithalos bonvaloti...

(αἰγίθηλος), now the word for "long-tailed tit

Long-tailed Tit

The Long-tailed Tit or Long-tailed Bushtit is a common bird found throughout Europe and Asia. There are several extensive accounts of this species, most notably Cramp and Perrins, 1993; Gaston, 1973; and Harrap and Quinn, 1996...

", but the Greek bird may also be any of the Paridae. This is the fifth story of the Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis

Antoninus Liberalis

Antoninus Liberalis was an Ancient Greek grammarian who probably flourished between AD 100 and 300.His only surviving work is the Metamorphoses, , a collection of forty-one very briefly summarised tales about mythical metamorphoses effected by offended deities, unique in that they are...

. He credits the first book of the Origins of Birds by Boeus; but neither that nor any other work with this story has survived.