Aegeus in the context of "Religion in ancient Greece"

⭐ In the context of Religion in ancient Greece, how did the ancient Greeks generally understand their religious practices compared to modern definitions?

Ad spacer

⭐ Core Definition: Aegeus

Aegeus (/ˈi.əs/ , /ˈs/; Ancient Greek: Αἰγεύς, romanizedAigeús) was one of the kings of Athens in Greek mythology, who gave his name to the Aegean Sea, was the father of Theseus, and founded Athenian institutions.

↓ Menu

>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
In this Dossier

Aegeus in the context of Ancient Greek religion

Religious practices in ancient Greece encompassed a collection of beliefs, rituals, and mythology, in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. The application of the modern concept of "religion" to ancient cultures has been questioned as anachronistic. The ancient Greeks did not have a word for 'religion' in the modern sense. Likewise, no Greek writer is known to have classified either the gods or the cult practices into separate 'religions'. Instead, for example, Herodotus speaks of the Hellenes as having "common shrines of the gods and sacrifices, and the same kinds of customs".

Most ancient Greeks recognized the twelve major Olympian gods and goddessesZeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus—although philosophies such as Stoicism and some forms of Platonism used language that seems to assume a single transcendent deity. The worship of these deities, and several others, was found across the Greek world, though they often have different epithets that distinguished aspects of the deity, and often reflect the absorption of other local deities into the pan-Hellenic scheme.

↑ Return to Menu

Aegeus in the context of Theseus

Theseus (UK: /ˈθsjs/, US: /ˈθsiəs/ ; Ancient Greek: Θησεύς [tʰɛːsěu̯s]) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages.

Theseus is sometimes described as the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and sometimes as the son of the god Poseidon. He is raised by his mother, Aethra, and upon discovering his connection to Aegeus, travels overland to Athens, having many adventures on the way. When he reaches Athens, he finds that Aegeus is married to Medea (formerly wife of Jason), who plots against him.

↑ Return to Menu

Aegeus in the context of Hippotes

Hippotes (Ancient Greek: Ἱππότης) may refer to a number of people from Greek mythology:

  • Hippotes, son of Mimas and father of Aeolus, the keeper of the Winds in the Odyssey. He was a mortal king.
  • Hippotes, a Corinthian prince as the son of King Creon, who accused Medea of the murder she had committed on his sister and his father. His persona was assumed by Medeus, son of Jason or Aegeus and Medea, when he came to the court of King Perses of Colchis.
  • Hippotes, a son of Phylas by Leipephilene, daughter of Iolaus, and great-grandnephew and great-grandson of Heracles. When the Heracleidae, on their invading the Peloponnesus, were encamped near Naupactus, Hippotes killed the seer Carnus, in consequence of which the army of the Heracleidae began to suffer very severely, and Hippotes by the command of an oracle was banished for a period of ten years. He was likely the same Hippotes who was the father of Aletes. He seems to be the same as the Hippotes who was regarded as the founder of Cnidus in Caria.
↑ Return to Menu

Aegeus in the context of Minos

In Greek mythology, Minos (/ˈmaɪnɒs, -nəs/ ; Greek: Μίνως, [mǐːnɔːs]) was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by the Minotaur. After his death, King Minos became a judge of the dead in the underworld alongside Rhadamanthus and Aeacus.

Archeologist Sir Arthur Evans used King Minos as the namesake for the Minoan civilization of Crete. The Minoan palace at Knossos is sometimes referred to as the Palace of Minos though there is no evidence that Minos was a real person.

↑ Return to Menu

Aegeus in the context of Aigeis

Aigeis (Ancient Greek: Αἰγηΐς, romanizedAigēis) was a tribe (phyle) of Ancient Athens which contained twenty demes: Lower and Upper Ankyle, Araphen, Bate, Diomeia, Erchia, Erikeia, Gargettos, Halae Araphenides, Hestiaia, Ikarion, Ionidai, Kollytos, Kolonos, Kydantidai, Myrrhinoutta, Otryne, Phegaia, Philaidai, Plotheia. It was named for the legendary king Aegeus.

The quota of demes for Aigeis showed the greatest variety of all the phyles during the first and second periods (343–253 BC) of bouleutic government.

↑ Return to Menu

Aegeus in the context of Medus

In Greek mythology, Medus (Ancient Greek: Μῆδος) or Medeus/Medeius (Μηδείας or Μήδειος) was an Athenian prince as the son of King Aegeus, thus a half-brother of the hero Theseus.

↑ Return to Menu

Aegeus in the context of Chalciope

Chalciope (/ˌkælˈs.əp/; Ancient Greek: Χαλκιόπη, romanizedKhalkiópē, lit.'bronze-face'), in Greek mythology, is a name that may refer to several characters.

↑ Return to Menu