King Theseus in Athens

Theseus was one of the greatest kings of Athens. He established the glory of Athens, unifying the municipalities of Attica, a fact which’s memory was celebrated from Athenians on 16 Ekatomvaionos with “synikia” or “synikesia”. Theseus divided people into three classes: the nobles, the landowners and the creators (manual workers and artisans). He achieved and military successes capturing Megarida and afterwards defeating the Amazons, who campaigned against Attica in order to liberate their queen Antiopi or Ippolyti. Mostly, however, he routed the Centaurus with his friend King lapithon Pirithoo when they tried to kidnap Hippodamia. Perithoos was Thesseus’s friend since he went to grab his steers. While they almost kill each other, gods inspired them in mutual sympathy, so when they looked each other, they threw the weapons aside and since then they became inseparable. Together they kidnapped Helen of Troy from Sparta when she was 12 years old and still dancing around the altar of the temple of Orthia Artemis. Then they had casted lots and Theseus gained Helen. The hero brought her to Athens and confided her to his mother, Aethra.

Immediately after they went together underworld to grab Persephone, whom Peirithoos had fallen in love with. But Pluto noticed them and forced them to sit on a rock where they could not stand up. Meanwhile, Helen’s brothers (Dioskouroi) went in Athens to take back their sister. However they would not find her unless Akadimos indicate them the place where she was hidden. Because of this mythological beneficence when Spartans during the Peloponnesian War destroyed Attica, they respected Academia and the Acadimo’s temple. Dioskouroi took their sister and Aethra (the second one as slave) and returned to Sparta after proclaiming Menesthea as a king of Athens. Years later, Heracles descended into Hades and liberated Theseus, who returned to Athens. He found Athenians against him, and he cursed them. The place where according to legend he said the curse, supposedly survived the ancient city of Gargittou and called Aratirion.

Μαζί κατέβηκαν, αμέσως μετά, και στον κάτω κόσμο για να αρπάξουν την Περσεφόνη, την οποία είχε ερωτευθεί ο Πειρίθοος. Ο Πλούτωνας όμως τους αντιλήφθηκε και τους έβαλε να καθίσουν σε μια πέτρα από όπου δεν μπορούσαν να ξανασηκωθούν. Στο μεταξύ, οι αδελφοί της Ωραίας Ελένης (οι Διόσκουροι) πήγαν στην Αττική για να πάρουν πίσω την αδελφή τους. Δεν θα την εύρισκαν, όμως, αν ο Ακάδημος δεν τους έδειχνε το μέρος που την έκρυβαν. Εξαιτίας αυτής της μυθολογικής ευεργεσίας, όταν οι Σπαρτιάτες κατά τον Πελοποννησιακό Πόλεμο κατέστρεψαν την Αττική, σεβάσθηκαν την Ακαδήμεια,το ιερό του Ακαδήμου. Οι Διόσκουροι πήραν την αδελφή τους και την Αίθρα (τη δεύτερη ως σκλάβα), και επέστρεψαν στη Σπάρτη, αφού πρώτα ανακήρυξαν βασιλιά των Αθηνών τον Μενεσθέα.

Χρόνια μετά, ο Ηρακλής κατέβηκε στον `Αδη και ελευθέρωσε τον Θησέα, που γύρισε στην Αθήνα. Επειδή βρήκε τους Αθηναίους εναντίον του, ο Θησέας τους καταράστηκε. Ο τόπος όπου κατά τον μύθο εκστόμισε την κατάρα, υποτίθεται ότι σωζόταν στον αρχαίο δήμο του Γαργηττού και ονομαζόταν Αρατήριον.