The Story of Theseus

The Birth of Theseus

In the year 1300, a son was born to King Aegeus and his wife, Aethra. He was a fine boy, and they named him Theseus. Just a year earlier, Aegeus had met Aethra in her city of Troezen where she was a princess. For the last year, they had stayed there together; but now King Aegeus had to leave and return to his own kingdom, and it was decided that Aethra would not go with him, but would instead stay in the city where she was born.

King Aegeus was deeply sad about leaving his wife and son, but that was his fortune. Before leaving, he walked around the castle with his wife. Soon they came upon a huge rock and Aegeus used his great strength to lift it. He then dug a small hole where the rock had been, placed his sword and shoes in it and then pushed the rock back over the hole. After doing this, he said to his wife:

"My love, I have wished my whole life for a son who would become brave and strong and rule my kingdom when I become old. Raise Theseus into a great man. Do not tell him that his father is a king; instead wait until he is old enough to move this stone. Once he is wearing my shoes and holding my sword, tell him the truth about his father and send him to meet me."

Aegeus and Aethra then kissed one another and walked to the shore. Boats were waiting for the king there, and he got onto the largest ship and left Troezen forever. Aethra cried softly as she watched his ship sail away and held baby Theseus in her arms tightly. "You will always be the son of a king," she whispered into her little child's ear.

Theseus grew up quickly. It was clear that he would one day be a strong man. As he grew, his mother told him that his father was the god Poseidon, and that he would one day become a great hero because of his good blood. She raised and taught her boy according to the tradition of kings in Troezen and provided him with many famous teachers of arts and war. His knowledge grew quickly, and his skill with the sword could not be beaten by any other young boy in the kingdom.

One day, when Theseus was still a boy, the great hero Hercules came to visit the castle. Hercules was wearing the skin of a lion that he had killed, and when the castle guards saw him they thought that he was a real lion and ran away. Only Theseus was unafraid and stood there with a sword in his hand prepared to fight the animal.

"Well done, young boy," said Hercules laughing. "One day you will become a great hero as strong as I."

Indeed, Theseus grew up to be a very strong and brave man and was unusually smart as well. On Theseus' sixteenth birthday his mother took him to his father's stone.

"Can you lift this stone, Theseus?" she asked.

Theseus lifted the rock easily and found the sword and the shoes that King Aegeus had left there for him.

"Those are gifts left here by your father," his mother said. "He is the leader of a great kingdom over the mountains."

Theseus was surprised to hear this, and said, "But mother, isn't my father the god Poseidon?"

"No, my son," she replied, "Your father is a real man, just like you are. Go to the capital, Athens, and show this sword to the king; he has waited a long time for you to grow up and hopes that you follow him as Athens next king."

Theseus was excited to hear this news. Though he had enjoyed thinking that he was the son of a god, he was even happier to know that he had a flesh and blood father whom he could meet and love. He decided to leave for Athens at once.

At that time, most people traveled to Athens by boat because the road to the capital was filled with many dangerous giants. These giants were all very cruel and violent; they enjoyed killing men just for fun. Aethra told her son about all of the terrible giants who waited on the road and asked him not to travel that way, but Theseus told her that he wished to be a great hero and would kill all the giants and make the road safe for others.

"I will bring my father his sword covered with the blood of the giants," Theseus told his mother.

Whatever she said, Aethra could not convince him to go to Athens by another way. Theseus packed his things, kissed his mother, and left for Athens.

(end of section)