Editing Pittheus (section)

=== Childless Aegeus ===
King Aegeus of Athens reigned at the same time with Pittheus in Troezen. He was childless with his previous marriages and thus desired to have his own heirs. After he received from the [[Pythia]]n priestess the celebrated oracle in which she bade him to have intercourse with no woman until he came to Athens. But Aegeus thought the words of the command somewhat obscure, and therefore turned aside to Troezen and asked for Pittheus' advice pertaining the words of the god, which ran as follows: — ''<nowiki/>'Loose not the wine-skin's jutting neck, great chief of the people, Until thou shalt have come once more to the city of Athens.'''<ref>Plutarch. ''Life of Theseus, 3.3'' {{PD-notice}}</ref>

Pittheus understanding the oracle on Aegeus' inquiry whether or not he was going to ever have children, had made the Athenian king drunk, who ended up spending the night with his daughter Aethra.<ref name=":0" /> Aethra had lain with [[Poseidon]] earlier that evening, so when Theseus was born he became Aegeus' stepson.<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Pseudo-Apollodorus]]. ''Bibliotheca,'' ''3. 15. 7''; [[Bacchylides]]. ''Dithyrambs, 3.34''</ref> According to [[Plutarch]], Pittheus merely spread the report of her daughter's copulation with the god so that Theseus might be regarded as the son of Poseidon, who was much revered at Troezen.<ref name=":2">Plutarch. ''Theseus, 6.1''</ref>