Middle daughter of earth-born Cecrops, who opened the chest where Erichthonius lay hidden and earned Minerva's lasting anger — when Mercury sought her sister Herse, Aglauros accepted gold to admit him, but Envy poisoned her heart until she blocked the god and was turned to black stone on the threshold.1
On the Acropolis dwelt Pandrosos, Aglauros, and Herse between them — daughters of double-natured Cecrops, devoted to Minerva's praise. When Mercury flying down from heaven saw Herse and burned to possess her, Aglauros was first to spy the god and ask his name and errand.2
Mercury offered Aglauros gold if she would let him pass to Herse. Minerva, still angry that Aglauros had opened the chest where Erichthonius lay hidden with the serpent, sent Envy from the house of Pluto to poison the sister's heart. Aglauros grew green with spite.3
When Mercury came again Aglauros sat in the doorway and refused him entry, though he pleaded and doubled the gold. At last the god touched her with his wand; her limbs grew stiff, her veins turned marble, and she became a black statue seated on the threshold.4
Ovid spells her Aglauros; Apollodorus and Pausanias name the same Cecropid Agraulus — the same princess, not a separate figure. The `-cecrops` id marks her among the daughters of the first Athenian king, distinct from any unrelated homonym.5
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the spine ignites as you read · hover a bond on the card — every mention of them lights in the story