Читать книгу The Herodotus Encyclopedia - Группа авторов - Страница 125

CHRISTOPHER BARON

University of Notre Dame

Mythical king of ATHENS, son of PANDION and father of the hero THESEUS, though sometimes POSEIDON is credited with that latter role (Gantz, EGM 247–49). Herodotus mentions Aegeus in his discussion of the origins of the Lycians, who received their name from LYCUS SON OF PANDION when the latter was driven out of Athens by his brother (1.173.3). When Theseus, returning from CRETE, failed to raise the agreed‐upon signal of a successful expedition against the Minotaur, Aegeus flung himself to his death from atop the ACROPOLIS (the connection of Aegeus with the name of the AEGEAN SEA is probably a later invention: Gantz, EGM 276). SOPHOCLES and Euripides wrote Aegeus tragedies (now lost), and he played a role in some versions of the MEDEA story. Aegeus received cult worship at Athens and gave his name to one of the ten tribes of the classical DEMOCRACY.

SEE ALSO: Cleisthenes son of Megacles; Lycia; Myth