Corone

In Greek and Roman mythology, Corone (Ancient Greek: Korṓnē, meaning "crow") was a young princess, the daughter of Coronaeus, who became the focus of an unwanted pursuit by Poseidon, the god of the sea. Her story is briefly told in the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses and is closely tied to Athena, the goddess of wisdom, with whom the crow would later be symbolically associated.

One day, as Corone walked along the seashore, Poseidon saw her and was captivated. When she rejected his advances, he turned aggressive and attempted to force himself upon her. Terrified, Corone fled, crying out for help. Though no mortal heard her cries, Athena, moved by compassion for another maiden, intervened and transformed Corone into a crow, saving her from harm.

Later, in her new form, Corone shared her sorrow with Lycius the raven, who had endured his own misfortunes. During their conversation, she lamented that her role as Athena’s chosen bird had been taken by the owl, once the mortal Nyctimene, whose transformation had been a punishment rather than a mercy. Corone felt wronged, having been replaced despite her loyalty and the unjust nature of her fate.

Though Ovid does not name her directly in his work—referring to her only as cornix, the Latin word for "crow"—her name, Corone, is preserved in later Greek writings.