Editing Aegeus

{{Short description|Mythical king of Athens}}
{{For|the Spartan hero|Aegeus (hero)}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Greek
| name = Aegeus
| image = Themis Aigeus Antikensammlung Berlin F2538 n2.jpg
| caption = ''Themis and Aegeus''<br/>Attic red-figure kylix, 440–430 BC
| deity_of = King of [[Athens]]
| abode = [[Megara]], then Athens
| consort = (i) [[Meta (mythology)|Meta]]<br/>(ii) [[Chalciope]]<br/>(iii) [[Aethra (mother of Theseus)|Aethra]]<br/>(iv) [[Medea]]<br/>(v) ''unknown''
| parents = (1) [[Pandion II]] and [[Pylia]]<br/>(2) [[Scyrius]]<br/>(3) [[Phemius]]
| siblings = (1) [[Pallas (son of Pandion)|Pallas]], [[Nisos|Nisus]], [[Lycus of Athens|Lycus]] and wife of [[Sciron]]
| children = (iii) Theseus<br/>(iv) [[Medus]]<br/> (v) Pallas
| successor = [[Theseus]]
| predecessor = [[Pandion II]]
| member_of = the Athenian Royal Family
| other_names = Aegeas
}}
[[File:Hippolyte Flandrin - Theseus Recognized by his Father - 1832.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''Theseus Recognized by his Father'' by Hippolyte Flandrin (1832)]]
'''Aegeus''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|iː|dʒ|i|.|ə|s|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Aegeus.wav}},<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/classicalmytholo0000morf_p6e2/page/818/mode/2up |page=I-13 |title=Classical Mythology|author1-first=Mark P. O. |author1-last=Morford |author2-first=Robert J. |author2-last=Lenardon |author3-first=Michael |author3-last=Sham |publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford |edition=International 10th  |year=2015|isbn=978-0-19-999739-8}}</ref> {{IPAc-en|ˈ|iː|dʒ|uː|s}};<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/centurycyclopedi09smituoft/page/16/mode/2up |page=16 |title=Century Cyclopedia of Names|editor-first=Benjamin E. |editor-last=Smith |publisher=Century |location=New York |year=1895 |volume=i}}</ref> {{langx|grc|Αἰγεύς|Aigeús}}) was one of the [[List of kings of Athens|kings of Athens]]<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#48 48]</ref> in [[Greek mythology]], who gave his name to the [[Aegean Sea]], was the father of [[Theseus]],<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.9.16&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Aegeus 1.9.16]; [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#14.2 14], [https://topostext.org/work/206#48 48], [https://topostext.org/work/206#173 173], [https://topostext.org/work/206#241 241], [https://topostext.org/work/206#244 244], [https://topostext.org/work/206#251 251], [https://topostext.org/work/206#257 257] & [https://topostext.org/work/206#270 270]</ref> and founded Athenian institutions.

== Family ==
Aegeus was the son of [[Pandion II]], king of Athens<ref>Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#26 26] & [https://topostext.org/work/206#48 48]</ref> and [[Pylia (mythology)|Pylia]], daughter of King [[Pylas]] of [[Megara]]<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], 3.15.5</ref> and thus, brother to [[Pallas (son of Pandion)|Pallas]], [[Nisos|Nysus]], [[Lycus (mythology)|Lykos]] and the wife of [[Sciron]].<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], 1.39.6</ref> But, in some accounts, he was regarded as the son of [[Scyrius]] or [[Phemius (mythology)|Phemius]] and was not of the stock of the [[Erechtheus|Erechtheids]], since he was only an adopted son of Pandion.<ref>Compare Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+3.15.5&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022 3.15.5]; [[John Tzetzes|Tzetzes]] ad [[Lycophron]], [https://topostext.org/work/860#494 494]; [[Plutarch]], ''Theseus'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Plut.%20Thes.%2013&lang=original 13]</ref>{{AI-generated source|date=November 2024}}

Aegeus' first wife was [[Meta (mythology)|Meta]],<ref>Compare [[Metis (mythology)|Metis]].</ref> daughter of [[Hoples]] and his second wife was [[Chalciope]], daughter of [[Rhexenor]], neither of whom bore him any children.<ref name=":0">Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+3.15.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022 3.15.6]</ref> He was also credited to be the father of [[Medus]] by the witch [[Medea]].<ref>Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#27 27], [https://topostext.org/work/206#244 244] & [https://topostext.org/work/206#275 275]</ref> In a rare account, Pallas was also said to be the son of Aegeus.<ref>[[Servius (grammarian)|Servius]] on [[Virgil]], ''[[Aeneid]]'' 8.54</ref> The latter was also said to fathered [[Megareus of Onchestus|Megareus]], eponymous founder of [[Megara]].<ref>[[Stephanus of Byzantium]], s.v. ''[https://topostext.org/work/241#M438.13 Megara (Μέγαρα)]''</ref>

Aegeides (Αἰγείδης), was a patronymic from Aegeus and especially used to designate Theseus.<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DA%3Aentry+group%3D5%3Aentry%3Daegeides-bio-1 A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Aegeides]</ref>

==Mythology==
===Reign ===
Aegeus was born in Megara where his father Pandion had settled after being expelled from Athens by the sons of [[Metion]] who seized the throne.<ref>Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.5.3&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 1.5.3]</ref> After the death of Pandion, now king of Megara, Aegeus in conjunction with his three brothers successfully attacked Athens, took control over the government and expelled the usurpers, the Metionids. Then, they divide the power among themselves but Aegeus obtained the sovereignty of [[Attica]], succeeding Pandion to the throne.<ref>Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+3.15.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022 3.15.6]; Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D5%3Asection%3D4 1.5.4]</ref> It has been said that Megara was at the time a part of Attica, and that Nisus received his part when he became king of that city.<ref>Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.%201.39.4&lang=original 1.39.4]</ref> Lycus became king of [[Euboea]] whereas Pallas received the southern part of the territory. Aegeus, being the eldest of the brothers, received what they all regarded as the best part: Athens.<ref>[[Scholia]]st on [[Aristophanes]], ''[[Lysistrata]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Aristoph.+Lys.+58&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0242 58]; on ''[[The Wasps|Wasps]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Aristoph.+Wasps+1223&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0044 1223]</ref>

The division of the land was explained further in the following text by the geographer [[Strabo]]:<ref>[[Strabo]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Strab.%209.1.6&lang=original 9.16]</ref>

<blockquote>... when Attica was divided into four parts, Nisus obtained Megaris as his portion and founded [[Nisaea]]. Now, according to [[Philochorus]], his rule extended from the [[Isthmus of Corinth|Isthmus]] to the Pythium, but according to [[Andron]], only as far as [[Eleusis]] and the [[Thriasian Plain]]. Although different writers have stated the division into four parts in different ways, it suffices to take the following from [[Sophocles]]: Aegeus says that his father ordered him to depart to the shorelands, assigning to him as the eldest the best portion of this land; then to Lycus he assigns Euboea's garden that lies side by side therewith; and for Nisus he selects the neighboring land of [[Sciron|Sceiron's]] shore; and the southerly part of the land fell to this rugged Pallas, breeder of giants.</blockquote>

Later on, Lycus was driven from the territory by Aegeus himself, and had to seek refuge in Arene, [[Messenia]] which was ruled by King [[Aphareus of Messenia|Aphareus]]. Pallas and his fifty sons revolted at a later time, being crushed by Aegeus' son Theseus.<ref>Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+4.2.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 4.2.6]</ref>

=== Heirless King ===
Still without a male heir with his previous marriages, Aegeus asked the [[Pythia|oracle]] at [[Delphi]] for advice. According to [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], Aegeus ascribed this misfortune to the anger of Aphrodite and in order to conciliate her introduced her worship as Aphrodite Urania (Heavenly) in Athens.<ref>Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D1%3Achapter%3D14%3Asection%3D7 1.14.7]</ref>

The cryptic words of the oracle were "Do not loosen the bulging mouth of the wineskin until you have reached the height of Athens, lest you die of grief."<ref>Plutarch, ''Theseus''; Apollodorus, 3.15.6</ref> Aegeus did not understand the prophecy and was disappointed. This puzzling oracle forced Aegeus to visit [[Pittheus]], king of [[Troezen]], who was famous for his wisdom and skill at expounding oracles. Pittheus understood the prophecy and introduced Aegeus to his daughter, [[Aethra (Greek mythology)|Aethra]], when Aegeus was drunk.<ref>[[Scholium|Scholion]] on [[Euripides]]' ''[[Hippolytus (play)|Hippolytus]]'', noted by [[Károly Kerényi|Karl Kerenyi]], ''The Heroes of the Greeks'' (1959) p 218 note 407.</ref> They lay with each other, and then in some versions, Aethra waded to the island of [[Sphairia]] (a.k.a. Calauria) and bedded Poseidon. When Aethra became pregnant, Aegeus decided to return to Athens. Before leaving, he buried his sandal, shield, and sword under a huge rock and told her that, when their son grew up, he should move the rock and bring the weapons to his father, who would acknowledge him.<ref>Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#37 37]</ref> Upon his return to Athens, Aegeus married [[Medea]], who had fled from [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]] and the wrath of [[Jason]]. Aegeus and Medea had one son named [[Medus]].

When Theseus grew up, he found his father's belongings left for him and went to Athens to claim his birthright. Aegeus recognized him as his son by his sword, shield, and sandals. Medea, Aegeus' wife perceived Theseus to be a threat for her children's inheritance and first tried to discredit and then to poison Theseus. When Aegeus discovered these schemes, he drove Medea out of Athens.<ref name=":1">Roman, L., & Roman, M. (2010). {{Google books|tOgWfjNIxoMC|Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman mythology.|page=13}}</ref>[[File:Antoine Placide Gibert Thésée reconnu par son père.JPG|thumb|251x251px|''Thésée reconnu par son père'' by Antoine-Placide Gibert (1832)]]

===Conflict with Crete===
While visiting in Athens, King [[Minos]]' son, [[Androgeus (son of Minos)|Androgeus]] managed to defeat Aegeus in every contest during the [[Panathenaic Games]]. Out of envy, Aegeus sent him to conquer the [[Marathonian Bull]], which killed him.<ref>Apollodorus, 3.15.7. The identification of the festival as the [[Panathenaia]] is an interpolated anachronism.</ref> Minos was angry and declared war on Athens. He offered the Athenians peace, however, under the condition that Athens would send [[sacrificial victims of Minotaur|seven young men and seven young women]] every nine years to [[Crete]] to be fed to the [[Minotaur]], a vicious monster. This continued until Theseus killed the Minotaur with the help of [[Ariadne]], Minos' daughter.

After his adventures in Crete, Theseus returned by ship to Athens. His father, Aegeus previously had asked him to hang a white sail as a sign that Theseus is alive, but Theseus neglected this request. When Aegeus saw Theseus' ships without a white sail, he assumed the worst and threw himself in his grief into the sea, named after him the Aegean Sea.<ref name=":1" />[[Image:Krater Warrior BM F158.jpg|thumb|249x249px|''Arrival or departure of a young warrior or hero, maybe [[Theseus]] arriving at Athens and being recognized because of his sword by Aegeus''. Apulian red-figured [[Krater|volute-krater]], ca. 410–400 BC, from Ruvo (South Italy).|left]]

===Theseus and the Minotaur===
{{main|Theseus}}
In Troezen, Theseus grew up and became a brave young man. He managed to move the rock and took his father's weapons. His mother then told him the identity of his father and that he should take the weapons back to him at Athens and be acknowledged. Theseus decided to go to Athens and had the choice of going by sea, which was the safe way, or by land, following a dangerous path with thieves and bandits all the way. Young, brave and ambitious, Theseus decided to go to Athens by land.

When Theseus arrived, he did not reveal his true identity. He was welcomed by Aegeus, who was suspicious about the stranger who came to Athens. Medea tried to have Theseus killed by encouraging Aegeus to ask him to capture the Marathonian Bull, but Theseus succeeded. She tried to poison him, but at the last second, Aegeus recognized his son and knocked the poisoned cup out of Theseus' hand. Father and son were thus reunited, and Medea was sent away to [[Asia]].<ref>Apollodorus, Epitome 1.5–7; [[First Vatican Mythographer]], 48</ref>

Theseus departed for Crete.  Upon his departure, Aegeus told him to put up white sails when returning if he was successful in killing the Minotaur. However, when Theseus returned, he forgot these instructions.  When Aegeus saw the black sails coming into Athens, mistaken in his belief that his son had been slain, he killed himself by jumping from a height: according to some, from the Acropolis or another unnamed rock;<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], 4.61.4; Plutarch, ''Theseus'' 17 and 22; Pausanias, 1.22.5; [[Catullus]], 64.215–245</ref> according to some Latin authors, into the sea which was therefore known as the Aegean Sea.<ref>Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#41 41], [https://topostext.org/work/206#43 43] & [https://topostext.org/work/206#242 242]; Servius on Virgil, ''Aeneid'' 3.74</ref>

Sophocles' tragedy ''Aegeus'' has been lost, but Aegeus features in [[Euripides]]' ''[[Medea (play)|Medea]]''.

==Legacy==
At Athens, the traveller Pausanias was informed in the second-century CE that the cult of [[Aphrodite Urania]] above the [[Kerameikos]] was so ancient that it had been established by Aegeus, whose sisters were barren, and he still childless himself.<ref>Pausanias, 1.14.6</ref>

There was a [[heroon]] of Aigeus in Athens, called Aigeion (Αἰγεῖον).<ref>[https://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/sol/sol-entries/alphaiota/33 Suda, alphaiota, 33]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Catullus]], LXIV.
*[[Plutarch]], ''[[Theseus]]''.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
* [[Diodorus Siculus]], ''The Library of History'' translated by [[Charles Henry Oldfather]]. Twelve volumes. [[Loeb Classical Library]]. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/home.html Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site]
* Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2''. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0540 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Plutarch|Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus]], ''Lives'' with an English Translation by Bernadotte Perrin. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. 1. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0067 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0075 Greek text available from the same website].
* [[Maurus Servius Honoratus]], ''In Vergilii carmina comentarii. Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii carmina commentarii;'' recensuerunt Georgius Thilo et Hermannus Hagen. Georgius Thilo. Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1881. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0053 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. {{ISBN|0-674-99328-4}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.  [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Scholia]] to [[Lycophron|Lycophron's]] ''Alexandra'', marginal notes by Isaak and Ioannis Tzetzes and others from the Greek edition of Eduard Scheer (Weidmann 1881). [https://topostext.org/work/860 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]. [[iarchive:lycophronisalexa02lycouoft/page/n5/mode/2up|Greek text available on Archive.org]]
* [[Strabo]], ''The Geography of Strabo.'' Edition by H.L. Jones. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0198%3Abook%3D6%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Strabo, ''Geographica'' edited by A. Meineke. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0197 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.]

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Aegeus}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Pandion II]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title=[[King of Athens]]|years=}} 
{{s-aft|after=[[Theseus]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Medea}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Princes in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Kings of Athens]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses characters]]
[[Category:Ancient Megarians]]
[[Category:Mythological people from Attica]]
[[Category:Suicides in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:People who died at sea]]
[[Category:Medea]]
[[Category:Theseus]]