The Greek Hero Theseus

Theseus was the son of both king Aegeus of Athens and Poseidon. His mother was Aethra, a princess of Troezan near Athens. His mixed paternity may seem unusual, however the ancient Greeks believed that it was possible for a hero to have two fathers.

Shortly after Aegeus married Aethra he decided to return to Athens. Aethra was instructed to keep their son with her until he was old enough to travel to his father in Athens. Aegeus buried a pair of sandals and a sword under a huge stone and told Aethra that when Theseus could lift the stone and take the items from under it, then he would be ready to come to Athens.

When Theseus came of age he went to the rock and lifted it with ease and took the sandals and sword from under it. Aethra explained that he would have to travel to Athens to meet his father. He could reach Athens by land or sea, however the sea faring route was the safer way, whereas the land based route was full of dangers. Theseus decided to reach Athens by land and thus test his heroic skills.

The 'labours' of Theseus were known as the six entrances to the underworld that were passed as he made his way to Athens.

1. When Theseus reached the sanctuary of Epidaurus (in the Peloponnese) he met Periphetes. Periphetes was the son of Hephaestus and a monstrous creature who owned a bronze club that he used to beat travellers to death with. Theseus beat Periphetes, firstly with a boulder that he threw at the monster and then used the bronze club to finished beating him to death.

2. He next met the monster Siris near the Isthmus (near Corinth). Siris would imprison unwary travellers and tie them to two trees that were bent down to the ground. He would untie the tree, which would tear the unfortunate person apart. Theseus killed Siris in the same way that the monster had killed his victims. Siris had a daughter called Perigune who was raped after Theseus had killed Siris.

3. The next monster Theseus came across was known as the Crommyon Sow. This was an enormous pig that may have been the offspring of another monster known as the Typhon. Theseus killed the pig and continued with his journey.

4. Theseus reached Megara and met the robber Sciron. Sciron would lure people to a cliff edge and throw them off when they were off guard. He did this so that a giant turtle or sea monster would be regularly fed.

5. When Theseus reached the mystery shrine of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis he met king Cercyon. King Cercyon would challenge travellers to a wrestling match and then beat them to death. He needed to do this in order to stay alive. Anyone who beat Cercyon would need to do the same. Theseus beat Ceryon to death and then refused to follow this rite, thus ending the bloodshed.

6. Theseus then made his way from Eleusis towards Athens. Here he met Procrustes. Procrustes was known to either stretch his victims to death on a special stretching device. If they did not fit on it he would lop off feet. Theseus stretched Procrustes to death (although it is uncertain if he had to lop off his feet first) and then carried on with his journey.

When Theseus arrived in Athens, he kept his identity a secret from his father. Aegeus had some years earlier offered Medea refuge from Corinth. She had helped Jason retrieve the golden fleece from her father king Aeetes in Colcis and fled with him. They later married and settled in Corinth with their two sons. Jason decided to abandon Medea and marry Glauce, a princess of Corinth.

Medea was furious and poisoned Glauce and her father to death. She then killed her two sons and refused to give their bodies to Jason. Shortly before committing these murders, Aegeus happened to be passing by. He was looking for a cure to his childless marriage. Medea gave him advice in return for his promise to give her a safe refuge in Athens. Aegeus agreed to this and later Medea arrived in Athens.

They married and all was well until Theseus arrived. She realised that Theseus would inherit the throne from Aegeus and tried to poison him. Aegeus realised who Theseus was just in time to stop him being poisoned. Medea left Athens soon after.

At this time, Athens had lost a war against king Minos of Crete. In retaliation, Minos had forced very unfavourable terms against the Athenians. Every nine years they had to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete. No one knew what happened to them so when the time came for the tribute to be given, Theseus volunteered to go in place of one of the youths.

When he arrived in Crete it became apparent that they were an offering or sacrifice to a monster known as the Minotaur. This monster had the head of a bull and the body of a man. It was said that the Minotaur was the offspring of king Minos' queen and a bull that was a gift from the king of the sea, Poseidon. Minos offended Poseidon, so instead of taking the gift back, he decreed that Minos' wife should fall in love with the bull and procreate with it. Minos was so ashamed of his wife's actions that when the Minotaur was born, he imprisoned it in a huge maze or labyrinth to keep the world from knowing about his wife's guilt.

Minos' daughter, Ariadne fell in love with Theseus and helped him to kill the Minotaur. She fled with him and expected him to repay her by becoming her husband. Instead, Theseus abandoned her on the island of Naxos as she slept.

When he returned to Athens he forgot to exchange the black sail of his ship for a white one, which led Aegeus to believe that Theseus was dead. Aegeus threw himself into the sea in despair and died.

For the rest of Theseus' story visit http://www.mythologyhellenic.com

Jane Sproston was a teacher of Classical Civilisation and Classical Greek in a number of secondary schools. She is also an examiner of Classical Civilisation for a major examination board. Her website is http://www.mythologyhellenic.com

Theseus -The Hero of Athens

Greece is a land of legends, and the people in many of the ancient city states told stories about great heroes in their past. Surprisingly, in view of its importance over many centuries, Athens could boast only one famous hero: Theseus.

He was the son of King Aegeus of Athens and Aethra, daughter of the king of Troizen, in the Peloponnesus. Aegeos had two wives but no son. But when he stayed one night in Troizen, he made the king's daughter, Aethra, pregnant. When he returned home, he left a sword and a pair of sandals under a rock near the town, with instructions that if she bore a son, when he came of age he was to claim them and take them to Athens. Aegeus also asked her to tell their son to travel in secret, as he feared that the fifty sons of his brother, Pallas, would kill him to secure the throne for one of themselves.

When Theseus arrived at manhood, he traveled to Athens to present himself to his father, first collecting the sword and shoes from under the rock. As the roads were infested with robbers, his grandfather tried to persuade him to take the shorter and safer sea route, but Theseus insisted on going by land, and on his way had many adventures, which formed a cycle of legends. Many of the adventures of Theseus rather suspiciously resemble those of the much more famous legendary hero Heracles. Scholars now believe that they were adapted from ancient stories, or in some cases deliberately created by the Athenians, in order to glorify Athens by enhancing the reputation of their own hero.

Even in Athens, perils awaited the young prince. A sorceress named Medea had insinuated herself into Aegeus' affections and replaced his former wives. Instantly recognizing Theseus on his arrival by means of her secret powers, and afraid of losing her influence over her husband if he should be recognised, she filled Aegeus' mind with the suspicion that the young stranger was his enemy and sought his throne. She persuaded him to send their young guest to certain death by having him attempt to capture the savage bull of Marathon. She thought that he would be killed, but Theseus succeeded in the mission.

Then she prepared a poisoned potion which contained a deadly herb which grew from earth watered by the saliva of Cerberus, the three-headed watchdog of Hades, and persuaded Aegeus to offer it to his son at dinner. When Aegeus recognized the swords with which his visitor cut his meat, he realized what he was about to do, and as the youth raised the cup to his lips, Aegeus dashed the drink to the floor. He acknowledged Theseus as his son and heir, and drove Medea from the city.

Their rivalry coming to a climax, the sons of Pallas, went to war to prevent Theseus displacing them, but he soon defeated them and strengthened his father's hold over power.

The Athenians were at that time forced to pay an onerous tribute to Minos, king of Crete. This was because Androgens, Minos' son, had been killed in Attica. In consequence, this powerful king had declared war on Athens, while the gods had sent a drought and an outbreak of the plague. The Athenians consulted the oracle of Apollo at Delphi, and were advised to sue for peace. This was granted, but only at the price of a tribute of seven youths and seven maidens to be sent to Knossos every nine years. These were said to be devoured by the Minotaur, a monster with a bull's body and a human head, which was kept in a labyrinth under the royal palace. This labyrinth was so complex that whoever went inside could not find his way out unassisted.

Theseus resolved to deliver his city from this burden. When the time came for sending the tribute, he volunteered himself. The ship left for Crete under black sails, as was customary, but Theseus promised to change these for white sails as a sign to his father, should he return alive.

When they arrived in Crete, and the youths and maidens were exhibited before Minos, Ariadne, the king's daughter, instantly fell in love with Theseus. She secretly provided him with a sword with which to face the Minotaur, and with a ball of thread with which he could find his way out of the labyrinth after he had killed it. As a result, he slew the Minotaur and escaped, taking Ariadne with him, and sailed for Athens.

On their way back the pair put in at Naxos, where Theseus abandoned Ariadne while she was sleeping on the beach. Later he claimed that Athena had appeared to him in a dream and commanded him to leave her behind.

Theseus also forgot the signal he had promised his father, failing to raise white sails when his ship drew near the shore of Attica. When the old king saw the familiar vessel returning with black sails he thought his son had perished, and in his grief threw himself from the rock. It was sometimes said that he threw himself from the spot where the small temple of Athena of Victories was later erected, although others say that he flung himself from the cliffs of distant Sounion, which is why the Aegean Sea was named after him. In any case, the returning Theseus found himself king of Athens.

Ancient writers exercised considerable ingenuity in endeavoring to explain why Theseus appeared to be so selfish and thoughtless. Some conjectured that when they reached Naxos, the god Dionysos carried Ariadne off. They said that by that time Theseus had fallen in love with her, and it was because of his grief at losing her that he forgot to change the sails. Catullus thought that Theseus just forgot about her. When she woke up and realized that she had been abandoned, she called upon the Furies to punish Theseus, and it was as a result of this curse that he forgot to change the sails, and so inadvertently caused his father's death.

Theseus consolidated his hold over power in Athens by killing the fifty sons of Pallas. Then he united the various small demes scattered throughout Attica into a single state, centered upon the Acropolis, effectively laying the foundations of Athenian future greatness.

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