Cassandra or Kassandra (Ancient Greek: Κασσάνδρα, pronounced [kassándra], also Κασάνδρα), (sometimes referred to as Alexandra), was a Trojan priestess of Apollo in Greek mythology cursed to utter true prophecies, but never to be believed. In modern usage her name is employed as a rhetorical device to indicate someone whose accurate prophecies are not believed. Some later versions have her falling asleep in a temple, where the snakes licked (or whispered in) her ears so that she could hear the future. Cassandra became a figure of epic tradition and of tragedy.