Greek mythology

The Myth of King Aegeus

Aegeus, in Greek mythology, the son of Pandion and grandson of Cecrops. He was king of Athens and the father of Theseus. Aegeus drowned himself in the sea when he mistakenly believed his son to be dead. The sea was thereafter called the Aegean.

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.

Aegeus was not born in Athens but was instead born in the nearby city of Megara. This was because Aegeus was the son of Pandion II.

Pandion II was a king of Athens, being the son of Cecerops II and grandson of Erechtheus. Pandion though was overthrown by his cousins, the sons of Metion, who put their father, a son of Erechtheus himself, upon the throne.

Pandion was made welcome in Megara by King Pylas, who married his daughter, Pylia, to Pandion. Pylas would also leave the throne of Megara to Pandion, whilst the former king went into exile.

Pylia would give birth to four sons for Pandion, the eldest being Aegeus, with Pallas, Nisus and Lycus following.

It is occasionally said that Aegeus was not of the bloodline of Pandion but was instead adopted by Pandion, in this case Aegeus was normally said to be the son of the Megarian Scyrius.
Aegeus King of Athens
When Pandion died, Aegeus and his brothers, now of age, decided to regain their birthright, and attacked Athens. The sons of Pandion were successful in their attack and the sons of Metion were forced to flee from Attica.

As the eldest son, Aegeus now took over the throne of Athens, although the governing of the region was supposed to be divided between the four brothers. Thus, Nisus became the new king of Megara, Lycus was said to have ruled Euboea, and Pallas became governor of the southern territory.

At some point though, it was said that Aegeus cemented his own power, taking control of Pallas' sphere of influence, and expelling Lycus from Attica. Pallas and his 50 sons would remain in Athens, but Lycus was said to have gone to Asia Minor, where a new land, Lycia was named after him.
Aegeus Longs for A Son
The first problem to face Aegeus was the question of a successor, for despite marrying first Meta, daughter of Hoples, and then Chalciope, daughter of Rhexenor, Aegeus remained childless.

Fearing that he had been cursed for some unknown reason by the goddess Aphrodite, Aegeus was said to have introduced the worship of Aphrodite to Athens, but still no successor was born. King Aegeus was now fearful that being childless was a sign of weakness, and that Pallas and his sons might remove him by force.

Seeking a solution to his problem, King Aegeus visited the Oracle of Delphi, but the words given to him by the Pythia gave him no comfort, for the words spoken by the priestess were, "The bulging mouth of the wineskin, O best of men, Loose not until thou hast reached the height of Athens."

Aegeus and Aethra
To Aegeus these words made no sense and seeking some clarity, Aegeus went to Troezen, for there reigned the wise King Pittheus.

Pittheus understood the prophecy but did not explain it to Aegeus, but instead Pittheus got Aegeus drunk, and then had him lay with his daughter Aethra.

​It was also said that on the same night, Aethra also slept with Poseidon.
Aegeus Father of Theseus
Aegeus would return to Athens, but told Aethra that if she was pregnant with his son, to raise him, but not inform him of who his father was. Aegeus also buried beneath a large stone his own sword, shield and sandals.

​Aethra was told that when the son, if a son was to be born, could move the stone by himself he should be told everything, and then bade to make his way to Athens.

Of course Aethra was pregnant, and she would later give birth to a son of Aegeus, named Theseus, but Aegeus did not become aware of this for many years.