Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Aethra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Greek mythology, Aethra was a daughter of King Pittheus of Troezen and, with the king Aegeus of Athens — or in some versions, Poseidon — mother of Theseus.
Aegeus went to Troezen (city located SW of Athens) and met with Aethra. They had sex and then, in some versions, Aethra waded out to the sea to Sphairia and became pregnant through Poseidon. When she got pregnant, Aegeas decided to go back to Athens. Before leaving, he covered his sandals, shield and sword under a huge rock and told her that when their son would grow up, he should move the rock and bring his weapons back. Aethra did as she was told and Theseus grew up to be a great hero, killing the Minotaur, among other adventures.
Later, Theseus kidnapped Helen and gave her to Aethra to keep. Helen's brothers, the Dioscuri, took Helen back and kidnapped Aethra in revenge. She went to Troy with Helen and remained there until found by her grandson, Acamas, during the fall of the city.
Aethra is also the name of one of the Oceanids, the 3000 daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. She is sometimes called the wife of Atlas and mother of the Pleiads (more usually the offspring of Pleione.) [1]
A figure called Aethra (possibly the Oceanid) is, in one source, called the wife of Hyperion, rather than Theia, and mother of Helios, Eos, and Selene. [2]
Another Aethra was the wife of the Spartan Palanthus. She fulfilled the prophecy given to her husband by her tears, after which he conquered Tarentum for himself. [3]