Tiresias

By Glenn Wright

Tiresias strikes two snakes with a stick, and is transformed into a woman by Hera. Engraving by Johann Ulrich Kraus c. 1690. Taken from Die Verwandlungen des Ovidii

In Greek mythology, Tiresias (/taɪˈriːsiəs/; Ancient Greek: Τειρεσίας, romanized: Teiresías) was a blind prophet of Apollo in Thebes, famous for clairvoyance and for being transformed into a woman for seven years. He was the son of the shepherd Everes and the nymph Chariclo. Tiresias participated fully in seven generations in Thebes, beginning as advisor to Cadmus himself.

Greek gods all have a ruthless sense of humor.
They never miss an opportunity
for payback. My name? Tiresias.
Occupation? Seer. What a joke!
And what a talent they have for consequences!
Usually for some inadvertent crime,
they fire off punishments like baby Eros
shooting arrows, hitting innocents
about as often as actual criminals.
“Justice” they call it. They even have a goddess,
blinded, like me. Look at poor Medusa,
given a fatal glance and snaky head
because Pose…