Protagraulos

Protagraulos, also sometimes spelled Aglaurus, refers to one of the daughters of Cecrops, the first king of Athens, in Greek mythology. Accounts of her parentage vary slightly, but generally she is considered the daughter of Cecrops and Aglaurus (another daughter of Actaeus). She is best known for her role in the story of the Erechtheion and the basket entrusted to her and her sisters, Herse and Pandrosus, by Athena.

Athena gave the sisters a chest or basket (kiste) containing Erichthonius, a child born of Hephaestus's failed attempt to violate Athena. The goddess forbade them from opening the basket. However, Protagraulos and Herse, driven by curiosity or possibly a madness induced by Athena (or in some versions, Eros), disobeyed and peeked inside.

The contents of the basket varied in different tellings of the myth. Some accounts claim it contained a snake or serpents along with the infant Erichthonius; others simply describe the child as having serpentine legs. In all versions, the sight of the contents drove Protagraulos and Herse to madness. They either leaped to their deaths from the Acropolis, were devoured by the serpent(s) within the basket, or died of grief and terror. Pandrosus, who either did not participate in the opening or repented quickly, is usually portrayed as surviving the incident.

The story of Protagraulos is often interpreted as a cautionary tale about obedience to the gods, the dangers of forbidden knowledge, and the consequences of unchecked curiosity. She is a minor but significant figure in Athenian mythology, linked to the founding myth of the Erechtheion and the lineage of Athenian kings. Her actions and fate serve as a reminder of the power of the divine and the potential for tragedy in human transgression.