Aegeus
(
Αἰγεύς). The son of Pandion, king of Athens, and father
of Theseus, whom he begot by Aethra at Troezen. Theseus afterwards came to Athens and restored
Aegeus to the throne, of which he had been deprived by his brother Pallas. Having slain
Androgeos, son of
Minos (q.v.), he was conquered by
that king and compelled to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete once in nine years as
victims to the Minotaur. When Theseus set out to free his country from this cruel tax, he
agreed in case of success to exchange the black sail of his ship for a white one; but
forgetting to do so, Aegeus saw the black sail on the returning vessel, supposed his son lost,
and threw himself into the sea, which is thus supposed to have been named
Aegean after him. He is said to have introduced the worship of
Aphrodité into Athens, where he himself was honoured with a shrine. See
Medea;
Theseus;
Minotaur.