His tomb was shown near the town of Cilla in the neighborhood of the temple of Apollo. (Pausanias 2.33.1) Cillus’ real name, according to a tradition from Troezen, was Sphaerus. There she poured a libation to the charioteer of her grandfather Pelops. Pausanias says this was the island of Sphaeria that lay close to Troezen’s shore. The island across the shallows echoed with laughter. She splashed water on herself and giggled in response. The moonlight wrestled with the ripples as she moved. Following her instructions, or maybe due to the heat, Aethra left the sleeping Aegeus and waded into the sea toward another sexual encounter. The goddess Athena, the patroness of Athens, sent Aethra a dream. The god answered him: “The bulging mouth of the wineskin, O best of men, loose not until thou has reached the height of Athens.” Not knowing what to make of the oracle, he set out on his return to Athens.Īnd journeying by way of Troezen, he lodged with Pittheus, son of Pelops, who, understanding the oracle, made him drunk and caused him to lie with his daughter Aethra. (Apollodorus Library 2.3.1)Īethra’s first real appearance in the Greek mythic timeline as a more significant character is her introduction to King Aegeus of Athens.Īs no child was born to him, he feared his brothers and went to Pythia and consulted the oracle concerning the begetting of children. (Pausanius 2.31.9) But prior to the marriage he “accidentally” killed a kinsman and went into exile. (Her sister Henioche doesn’t seem to get mentioned much.) (Plutarch, Life of Theseus 25.4) As a matter of fact, Bellerophon, the hero made famous by also riding about on the winged horse Pegasus, courted and became engaged to Aethra. (Pausanius 2.30.9) So surely she was once a beautiful princess made more beautiful by the fact that she was her father’s sole heir. Her father was the king of Hyperaea and Anthea, which he merged into a new city, called Troezen in honor of his brother. Like Nestor, she witnessed three generations of men come and go upon the face of the earth.Īethra’s first mention in Greek myth is as the daughter of Pittheus. She was a princess in Greece and a slave in Asia Minor. Aethra raised Helen, raised Theseus, and raised her own great-grandson. She cowered nearby when the sword fell from Menelaus’ hand and Helen welcomed him back into her bosom. We will get a peek at her time after time as we follow her life along the mythic timeline. This post is an attempt to highlight a mortal woman whose life was almost epic in scope. Aethra, the mother of Theseus, was a minor character in Greek mythology, but she was a minor character in several major events.
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