Arne Sithonis

In the Ovidian account (Metamorphoses, the sole ancient attestation preserved in manuscript tradition), Arne—given in manuscripts as Arne Sithonis or Arne Sithon—was a princess of an island who accepted a bribe from the legendary king Minos to aid Crete. After she betrayed her motherland and Minos' forces attacked the island, the gods punished her by transforming her into a jackdaw. The epithet 'Sithonis' functions as an ethnic/geographic marker meaning 'the Sithonian' or 'Thracian', and later scholarship has debated whether this links her to Thracian settlers on Naxos or is a paleographical confusion with other island names such as Siphnos; these are interpretive attempts rather than independent traditions.

As attested in Ovid (the only ancient source), Arne is described simply as a princess of an island—no detailed human physiognomy survives in the source. After divine punishment she becomes 'a black-footed, black-winged jackdaw': a small black bird with black feet and wings. The transformed bird is noted to be forever attracted to golden and shining objects.

Only the metamorphosis and its behavioral consequence are reported in the available source material. Arne acquires the normal capacities of a jackdaw and, crucially, a compulsive attraction to gold and bright objects that literalizes the motive for her betrayal. No other supernatural powers, ongoing agency as an immortal spirit, or ritual interactions with humans are recorded in Ovid or the supplied summaries.