The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology by Hard Robin; Hard Robin;

Author:Hard, Robin; Hard, Robin;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2011-09-24T16:00:00+00:00

Theseus is acknowledged as heir to the Athenian throne, and sets off for Crete with the tribute

Theseus was faced with perils of a more insidious nature on his arrival, for Medeia had married Aigeus after parting from Jason and had borne him a son Medos (see page) and was prepared to plot the death of Theseus to protect her position and the prospects of her son. Realizing who he was before he was able to prove his identity to his father, she persuaded Aigeus that the newly arrived stranger was conspiring to seize the throne; and the king reacted by sending him to confront the savage bull of Marathon (usually identified with the Cretan bull that had been sent mad by Poseidon, see page, and had later been brought to the mainland by Herakles, see page). After travelling to its haunts in north-eastern Attica, Theseus subdued it to his will without suffering any harm and drove it to back to Athens, where he or the king offered it in sacrifice to Apollo. Theseus was said to have stayed with an old woman called Hekale while performing this exploit. Medeia adopted a new plan after this setback, by mixing a poisoned draught and arranging that Aigeus should serve it to Theseus at a banquet; but Aigeus noticed at the very last moment that the young man was wearing the sword that he had placed under the rock at Troizen, and knocked the wine-cup out of his hands to prevent the poison from reaching his lips. Medeia’s schemes were thus exposed, and Aigeus (or Theseus) drove her out of the kingdom along with her son (see further page). Theseus for his part received public acknowledgement from his father and was recognized thenceforth as the legitimate heir to the throne. There was a version of this legend in which the attempted poisoning was Medeia’s only scheme, and Theseus set out against the bull of his own accord to court the favour of the Athenians.50

While Theseus was travelling across Attica to confront the bull, he was caught by a storm and was granted shelter and hospitality by an old woman called HEKALE, who lived in the deme (parish) of that name between Athens and Marathon. As he was setting out on the following morning, she vowed to offer a sacrifice to Zeus if he returned safely from his encounter with the bull. He discovered on his return, however, that she had died in the meantime, and he acknowledged her kindness by ordering that she should be honoured at the annual local festival of Zeus Hekaleios. She was also called Hekaline in that connection, supposedly because Theseus had addressed her by this pet name during his stay. This aetiological legend was recounted at some length by Callimachus in a miniature epic, the Hekale, which is preserved only in fragmentary form.51

When the third tribute of youths and maidens was due to be sent to Crete as food for the Minotaur, Theseus volunteered to be included in

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