Although fragments have long been known, the discovery of a synopsis among the Oxyrhynchus Papyri has allowed an attempt at a reconstruction.

[1][3] Thomas B. L. Webster dates the play to near but before 431 BCE, based on circumstantial evidence from a comment Thucydides made in 431 about the need to distinguish between Tereus and the King of Thrace, Teres, which Webster believes was made necessary by the popularity of Sophocles play around this time causing confusion between the two names.

"[3] Marsh takes this to imply that as of the time of Medea's production, the myth of Tereus had not yet incorporated the infanticide, as it did in Sophocles' play.

[3][8] According to this hypothesis, Tereus, the king of Thrace, was married to Procne, daughter of the Athenian ruler.

[3][8][9] In an article in the Classical Quarterly in 2001, David Fitzpatrick summarised some of the challenges facing anyone wanting to reconstruct Sophocles' Tereus from its known fragments at that time.

[2] He concluded this article outlining a possible plot of Tereus from the hypothesis and the extant fragments.

[8] This plot outline was retained a subsequent publication in 2006 which discusses Sophocles' Tereus in more detail.

[10] In Fitzpatrick's reconstruction, the play begins with either a Thracian male servant or herald on behalf of the absent Tereus speaking.

This is based on fragment 582, translated by Hugh Lloyd-Jones as "O sun, light greatly honoured by horse-loving Thracians.

In the reconstruction, the revelation that the women and Tereus were turned into birds is related by a deus ex machina, who Fitzpatrick believes was most likely Apollo.

[1] The fragment concludes by stating that "any mortal who is infuriated by his wrongs and applies a medicine that is worse than the disease is a doctor who does not understand the trouble.

[11] A chorus of Thracian elders then arrives to announce Tereus' return from his voyage to bring Philomela to Thrace.

"[11] When Itys appears, Procne notices his resemblance to Tereus and decides on her plan to kill and cook him and serve him to his father.

[11] In the exodus, a nurse or messenger reports the killing and cooking of Itys, Tereus' rage and pursuit of the women and the metamorphosis of the three of them into birds.

[8] Thus, the Thracian Tereus commits the barbaric acts of raping a woman entrusted by her father in his care and mutilating her.

[15] Kiso particularly discussed the contrast between Tereus and an extant play that involves sexual relations and the influence of Aphrodite, The Women of Trachis.

[1] The sentiments expressed are similar to those in the final chorus of Sophocles' Ajax and Euripides' Medea.

[1] The similarities to Medea also extend to the plot turning on a mother killing her child in order to take revenge on her husband.