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Two incidents from the life of Theseus indicating the prehistorical Grecian nature (Hellenicness) of Cyprus and of the Aegean Sea

• Κουρέτας, Δημήτριος

Both incidents have been cited by Plutarch In his work Plutarch Lives (Theseus XX and XXIII). In the first incident, Theseus and Ariadne, after the killing of Minotaurus, took the boat in order to return to Athens. A heavy storm carried the boat away to Cyprus where Ariadne died during the childbirth. In her honor, Theseus gave money to the people of Amathosia to commemorate every year. During this commemoration a young man should immitate a pregnant woman, laid in a bed and suffering the pains of childbirth (screaming etc.) This is the custom of «couvade » which was spread in the ancient greek area and, of cource, in Cyprus. In the second incident, Theseus has fergotten (lapsus memoriae) to replace the black sailcloth with a white one, as was agreed with his father Aegeus, the king of Athens, after his succesfull killing of Minotaurus. Aegeus, by seeing the black sailcloth, thought that Theseus was devoured by Minotaurus, was very sad and he threw himself from the high rock (Sounion ?) out of where he observed the sea, and he killed himself. This sea was named since Aegean Sea. Our opinion is that Theseus lapsus was an indication of his unconcious feeling to succeed his father to the throne as earlier as possible. (Hie et nunc).

• Languages and Literature

• Classical philology