Just as Heracles was the chief hero of Peloponnesus，so Theseus was the most famous half god of Attlca.His father was king Aegeus of Athens and his mother a princess of Troezen.When he was still an infant his father left him in the care of his mother and went back to his own kingdom.Before he left，Aegeus buried his sword and sandals under a huge stone，and told his mother to direct him to Athens as soon as he was big enough to lift the rock and take the hidden gifts with him. At the age of sixteen he became a strong young man，intelligent and with lots of nerve.Taking the sword from under the rock，he joyfully set out to look for his father.It was a journey of adventures.But he cleared the roads of various monsters he met and appeared harmless in his father's palace at Athens.Little did he suspect that here would be an attempt on his life there。

　　King Aegeus had recently married Medea，a bad woman.She was anxious to have the Athenian throne for her own child. She had persuaded the king to poison the newcomer at a feast.As the feast was in progress，King Aegeus saw Theseus' sword and recognized his son in the young man . Quickly pushing the poisoned cup aside，he took his son in his arms and declared him his successor.Thus troubled by her own evil designs，Mede fled in her dragon drawn carriage，never to return.for a time Theseus stayed with his father at Athens.When the Cretan bull escaped into the area of Marathon he set out alone to fight with the beast and offered it up as a sacrifice to the gods。

　　At this time the city of Athens was bothered by the respect it had promised to pay to King Minos of Crete . The Cretans had come to attack Athens，and the gods had ordered that the Athenians would have to meet the demand of the Cretan king that seven boys and seven girls be sent to Crete every year to feed the half man，half bull Minotaur.Determined to kill the Minotaur and save his people from further grief，Theseus decided to go as one of the fourteen chosen victims.Before he left he promised his father that if he succeeded in his work he would change the black sails of his ships to white ones.He went，and with the help of princess Ariadne of Crete，he killed the Minotaur and carried the Princess with him on his way back.At Naxos he left the girl in her own care.For when he neared Athens he forgot to put up the promised white sails，and his anxious father，standing on a hill-top，saw the black sails，threw himself down into the sea in despair.So stricken with grief was Theseus that he never recovered from regret.He succeeded his father as king，and introduced many good measures to improve the life of his people.To rid his kingdom of the threat by the Amazons，he led an expedition into the woman country and took its queen prisoner.The queen，Antiope by name，ws in fact so passionately in love with him that she agreed to marry him.At a later date the Amazons came to lay attack on Athens on the excuse of recovering their queen.In the battle that followed，the queen was wounded by a chance arrow and died，leaving Theseus a sad widower。

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　　Theseus' friendship with Pirithous，king of the Lapithae，grew from a dramatic beginning.Pirithous was invading Attica and Theseus was marching his men out to meet him. In the first personal encounter between the two heroes each was so filled with admiration for the other that they both laid down their weapons and became faithful friends。

　　At the wedding of Pirithous，to which Theseus and Heracleswere invited，a number of horsemen present were angry with the shining beauty of the bride，so that they attempted to take her by force.Both Theseus and Heracles were enraged at their wild behaviour .In what was known as the coldblooded fight between the horsemen and the Lapithae they beat the horsemen and saved the bride.But she did not have long to live。

　　Both Theseus and Pirithous were full of the ambition of marrying a lady of holy birth.At one time they got Helen by force，she was the beautiful daughter of Zeus，but as she was not yet of marriageable age，Theseus left her with his mother.Later she was rescued by her brothers，Castor and Pollux.So proud were the two friends that they were now planning to invade the lower world and carry Persephone up by force，for Pirithous was eager for her beauty.They went，but they found it impossible to get out again. One of them，Pirithous，was bound to a turning wheel while Theseus himself was chained to a rock.If it had not been for Heracles，who came in for Cerberus，Theseus would never have been able to return to the upper air again。

　　When he returned to Athens he was quite old and unhappy with life.As king he acted like a tyrant and went successfully away from his people. He was sent away to the island of Scyros，where he fell into sea from a cliff. Nothing more was heard of him until the battle of Marathon centuries later.When the Athenians saw a mighty soldier leading them in their ruthless attack against the invading Persians，they recognized him as Theseus and after the war they devoted a grand temple to his memory and offered sacrifice at his altar。

　正如海格立斯是珀羅普妮薩斯的大英雄，特修斯當之無愧地成了安提卡聞名遐爾的人神。他的父親是雅典國王埃爾忒斯，而他的母親是特隆澤的一位公主。當他還在襁褓中時，他父親就把他交給了母親，返回自己的王國去了。臨行前，埃爾忒斯將劍和涼鞋埋在一塊巨石之下；并告訴他母親說：一旦特修斯長大了能搬起了石頭，就拿出埋藏的禮物，然后指點他到雅典來。特修斯16歲時就長成了身強體壯的年輕人，他智慧超群但卻性情急燥。當他從巨石下拿出寶劍時，就激動地起程去尋找他的父親。旅途驚險至極，他清除了路上所遇的各種怪物猛獸，最終安然無恙地來到父親在雅典的王宮里。他絲毫沒有預料到王宮里竟隱藏著殺害他的陰謀。

　　國王埃爾忒斯新近娶了梅底。梅底是個心地歹毒的女人。她一心想讓自己的孩子繼承雅典王國的王位。她已說服國王讓他毒死宴會上的這個陌生人。宴會上，埃爾忒斯國王看見了特修斯的劍，立刻認出原來這個年輕人是自己的兒子。他迅速推開那杯毒酒，擁抱他，并宣布他為自己的王位繼承人。梅底為自己的歹毒計劃擾得心神不安，于是駕上龍車逃掉了，從此再沒有回來。特修斯在雅典與父親住了一段時間。當克里坦的公牛跑到馬拉松地區時，特修斯單槍匹馬前去向那只猛獸挑戰，最終將它作為祭品獻給了眾神。

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　　那段時間，雅典城一直為自己曾許諾向克里特國王米諾斯進貢一事而困擾不安。克里特人曾進攻雅典，眾神命令雅典人滿足克里坦所提的條件。也就是每年須向克里特王國進貢七對童男童女來喂養半人半牛的怪物。為了殺死怪物，使同胞們免遭更大的悲痛，特修斯決定作為被選送犧牲品的一員前往克里特。臨行前，他向父親保證，一旦成功，他將把船上的黑帆換成白帆。他走了，在克里特公主阿瑞安得妮的幫助下，他殺死了半人半牛的怪物并帶著公主一同返回。他把姑娘留在了納克松斯，讓她自己照顧自己。但是當他的船駛近雅典時，他忘記換上約定好的白帆。他焦慮的父親站在山頂上看到遠處的黑帆時，就絕望地跳海自盡了。特修斯懊悔萬分，再也沒能從自責中緩過來。

　　他接替父親當了國王。他引進了許多好方法來改善人民的生活。為了使國家不再受亞馬孫族女戰士的威脅，他帶隊遠征這個女人國，并俘虜了它的王后。王后名叫安提諾波。事實上，她狂熱地愛上了特修斯并答應嫁給他。后來，亞馬孫族人借口要奪回王后派兵攻打雅典。在接著的戰斗中，王后被一只亂箭射中，不幸喪命，留下特修斯一人獨自悲傷。

　　特修斯與拉皮塞國王皮瑞塞斯的友誼有著戲劇般的開端。皮瑞塞斯入侵安提卡。特修斯帶兵出城迎戰。在兩人正面交鋒的第一個回合中，兩人相互之間欽佩不已，以致最后都放下武器成了忠實的朋友。

　　皮瑞塞斯結婚時，特修斯和海格拉斯都受到了邀請。在場的許多騎兵被新娘那閃光奪目的美麗所激怒。他們決定用武力把她搶過來。特修斯和海格拉斯對他們的野蠻行徑怒不可遏。在這場眾所周知的冷血戰爭中，他們痛擊了騎兵并奪回了新娘。可惜她很快就離開人世了。

　　特修斯和皮瑞塞斯都雄心勃勃想娶一位出身圣潔的淑女。他們一度奪來了海倫。她是宙斯美麗的女兒，但她未到婚嫁年齡，于是特修斯讓母親照看她。后來，海倫的兄弟卡斯特和波魯克斯救出了她。兩位朋友如此驕傲便決定去進攻人間，把珀耳塞福涅搶來。因為皮瑞塞斯喜愛她的美貌。他們出發了，但他們卻發現自己已無法逃脫，皮瑞塞斯被綁到了一個旋轉的車輪上了，而特修斯則被拴在了石頭上。要不是海格立斯，特修斯肯定就不能再回到天上了。

　　當特修斯回到雅典時，他老態龍鐘，生活也不如意。作為一個國王他獨斷專橫，結果被人民趕下了臺。他被流放到塞庫魯斯島。在那兒，他失足從懸崖上栽到了海里。從那以后，他杳無音信。幾百年后特洛伊戰爭爆發。雅典人看到一個身材高大的士兵帶領他們勇敢無情地攻擊著入侵的波斯人，他們認出他就是特修斯。戰爭結束后，雅典人為紀念他建造了一座大寺廟，并給他的祭壇貢奉祭品。

 

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