It is said to have been on the eighth day of the month Cronion, which is
now called Hecatombaion, that he came to his own city. On entering it he
found public affairs disturbed by factions, and the house of AEgeus in
great disorder; for Medea, who had been banished from Corinth, was
living with AEgeus, and had engaged by her drugs to enable AEgeus to have
children. She was the first to discover who Theseus was, while AEgeus,
who was an old man, and feared every one because of the disturbed state
of society, did not recognize him. Consequently she advised AEgeus to
invite him to a feast, that she might poison him.
Theseus accordingly came to AEgeus's table. He did not wish to be the
first to tell his name, but, to give his father an opportunity of
recognizing him, he drew his sword, as if he meant to cut some of the
meat with it, and showed it to AEgeus. AEgeus at once recognized it,
overset the cup of poison, looked closely at his son, and embraced him.
He then called a public meeting and made Theseus known as his son to the
citizens, with whom he was already very popular because of his bravery,
It is said that when the cup was overset the poison was spilt in the
place where now there is the enclosure in the Delphinium, for there
AEgeus dwelt; and the Hermes to the east of the temple there they call
the one who is "at the door of AEgeus."
But the sons of Pallas, who had previously to this expected that they
would inherit the kingdom on the death of AEgeus without issue, now that
Theseus was declared the heir, were much enraged, first that AEgeus
should be king, a man who was merely an adopted child of Pandion, and
had no blood relationship to Erechtheus, and next that Theseus, a
stranger and a foreigner, should inherit the kingdom. They consequently
declared war.
Dividing themselves into two bodies, the one proceeded to march openly
upon the city from Sphettus, under the command of Pallas their father,
while the other lay in ambush at Gargettus, in order that they might
fall upon their opponents on two sides at once. But there was a herald
among them named Leos, of the township of Agnus, who betrayed the plans
of the sons of Pallas to Theseus. He suddenly attacked those who were
in ambush, and killed them all, hearing which the other body under
Pallas dispersed. From this time forth they say that the township of
Pallene has never intermarried with that of Agnus, and that it is not
customary amongst them for heralds to begin a proclamation with the
words "Acouete Leo," (Oyez) for they hate the name of Leo because of the
treachery of that man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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