Theseus was born to Aethra, a princess of Troezen. Both Aegeus, who as the king of Athens, and Poseidon loved her a great deal. Theseus, therefore, was born of two fathers, a divine Greek god and a mortal man.
Before the birth of his son, Aegeus had to return to Athens. The king left his sword under a large rock for his son to recover when he grew up and was strong enough to do so. Then, Theseus could go to his father in Athens. In the meantime, Theseus was reared by his mother.
At the age of 16, Theseus was told of the rock by his mother. Both strong and wise for his years, he easily found the huge rock, lifted it, and took his father’s sword with him on a journey to Athens. On his way, Theseus encountered many adventures befitting a hero, which gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his strength and prowess to the world.
Many of Theseus’ exploits also showed a sort of “eye for an eye” mentality that would serve him well in his future. He rather enjoyed inflicting pain and suffering on those who did the same to others.
- Theseus tore Sinis, a son of Poseidon (and half brother!), from limb to limb by tying him to sprung trees, just had Sinis had done to other undeserving souls.
- He threw Sciron against a large rock, killing him, in order to avenge the cruelty he had showed when he would force passersby to bend over to wash his feet, and then kick them over a cliff into the sea, and watch them be devoured by a giant turtle.
- He tortured the giant Procrustes just as Procrustes had done to so many – he forced him to lie on a short bed, and chopped of any overlapping body parts.
When Theseus finally got to Athens, he was unknown to his father. Aegeus’ wife, Medea, was not surprisingly jealous of this newcomer, and tried to poison him at a feast. When Theseus drew his father’s sword, Aegeus recognized the implement, and the two were united. Medea was unceremoniously sent packing.
Theseus became co-ruler of Athens with his father, and when his father died, he became the sole king of Attica. Theseus established great things for his people. He built temples, united the people, established social classes, and established the Panathenaea. He continued his adventures as well, joining the Argonauts for their exploits, and helping Heracles fight the Amazons.
After a series of tragedies that occurred under his roof, Theseus retired to Scyros. Unfortunately, the king, Lycomedes, was so jealous of the fame of his houseguest that he did the most inhospitable thing possible: he threw Theseus into the sea to his death.
Next, we will look at what is probably Theseus' greatest triumph: slaying the Minotaur.
Sources consulted:
Graves, R. The Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1994.
Bonnefoy, Y. Greek and Egyptian Mythologies. Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1991.
