Aethra in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Aethra

12 passages from 6 ancient authors that tell of Aethra, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Aethra was the name given to different figures in Greek mythology. One of them was the daughter of King Pittheus of Troezen, who after lying with Aeg... For the story in one place, read our article on Aethra.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.15.1–3.16.2Erechtheus, Aegeus, Minos's war on Athens and the birth of TheseusPandion's sons divide his inheritance and Erechtheus becomes king; his daughters include Procris, killed accidentally by Cephalus, and Orithyia, carried off by Boreas. The section covers Cleopatra and Phineus, Eumolpus and the war with Erechtheus, who sacrifices his daughter, and Aegeus and his marriages. Minos, to avenge Androgeus, takes Megara through Scylla's treachery and imposes the tribute of youths and maidens for the Minotaur. It ends with the birth of Theseus to Aethra and his first two labours, where the surviving text of the Library breaks off.

Euripides (4)

Euripides, Suppliants 286–333First episode: Aethra persuades Theseus to help the suppliantsTheseus asks his mother why she weeps, and Aethra says that she will not keep silent. She reminds him that he has the duty to protect the gods' laws, that the Thebans are doing wrong in refusing burial, and that Athens has always used its strength for the weak.
Euripides, Suppliants 87–161First episode: Theseus questions Adrastus about the expedition against ThebesTheseus hears the lamentation from the shrine and asks what it means. Aethra tells him that the mothers of the seven chiefs who fell at Thebes keep her prisoner with suppliant boughs. Theseus asks Adrastus, who is muffled in his cloak, to unveil his head and speak, and Adrastus tells how he led the expedition against Thebes, and Theseus says that he showed a preference for courage over discretion.
Euripides, Suppliants 1–41Prologue: Aethra at Eleusis sends for TheseusAethra, the mother of Theseus, prays at the altar of Demeter at Eleusis, where she has come to sacrifice, and sees the Argive mothers sitting round her with suppliant boughs, with their king Adrastus lying on the ground. They are the mothers of the seven chieftains who fell before Thebes, and the victorious Thebans will not allow them to bury their sons. Aethra, bound by their boughs, has sent a herald to her son Theseus, asking him to come.
Euripides, Suppliants 42–86aParodos: the Argive mothers beg Aethra for their sons' bodiesThe Chorus of the mothers of the seven chiefs falls at Aethra's knees and begs her to persuade her son to rescue their children's bodies, which lie unburied on the ground. They tell her of their misery, of the sons they bore and lost, and call on Aethra's servants to join in the lament.

Diodorus Siculus (1)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.59.1–4.63.5TheseusThe historian tells of Theseus' birth at Troezen and his labours against the robbers on the road to Athens, then of the Minotaur: Minos' war over the death of Androgeos, the tribute of youths, Ariadne's help, and Theseus' union of the Attic demes into one city. He adds the story of Phaedra and Hippolytus and the exploits of Peirithoüs, including the abduction of Helen and the descent to Hades.

Pausanias (4)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 10.25.1–11Delphi: the Cnidian Lesche and Polygnotus' painting of Troy after its capture (1)Pausanias describes the building dedicated by the Cnidians at Delphi, called the Lesche or Club-room, with its paintings by Polygnotus. On the right wall the painting shows Troy after its capture and the Greeks setting sail, with Menelaus' crew and the pilot Phrontis, then Helen and her handmaids, Helenus, the wounded Meges and Lycomedes, Aethra and Demophon, and the captive Trojan women, Andromache, Medisicaste and Polyxena, with Nestor.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.33.1–5Troezenian islands: Sphaeria and Calauria, and the tomb of DemosthenesPausanias describes Sphaeria, the island joined to the land, and how Aethra there received Poseidon and founded the temple of Apaturian Athena, which changed its name to the Sacred Isle. He then describes Calauria, once exchanged between Apollo and Poseidon, with its sanctuary of Poseidon and the tomb of Demosthenes, and recounts the Harpalus affair that shows Demosthenes was not bribed.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.19.1–10Olympia: the Chest of Cypselus, fourth and fifth fieldsPausanias describes the fourth field, including Boreas and Orithyia, Hercules and Geryon, the fight of Achilles and Memnon, the Dioscuri rescuing Helen, scenes from the Trojan war, the judgment of Paris and the sons of Oedipus. He then gives his readings of the unlabelled uppermost field, such as Ulysses and Circe, and guesses that the verses are by Eumelus of Corinth.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 10.10.1–8Delphi: offerings of the Athenians and Argives, and the Tarentine offerings and founding of TarentumPausanias describes the Athenian offering from the spoils of Marathon, with the statues of Athena, Apollo, Miltiades and the tribal heroes by Phidias, and the Argive offerings of the Seven against Thebes and the Epigoni and of the descendants of Danaus. He then describes the bronze horses and captive women of the Tarentines, and tells how Phalanthus understood the oracle of rain under a clear sky when his wife Aethra wept, and took Tarentum.

Quintus Smyrnaeus (1)

Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (Posthomerica) 13.415–563Troy burns; Aethra rescuedThe gods mourn Troy, all but Hera and Athena, though Athena turns away in anger as Aias son of Oileus outrages Cassandra in her temple. Fire destroys the city and Trojans die in their burning houses, and the glow is seen from Ida and Tenedos. Aethra is found by her grandsons Demophoon and Acamas, who promise to take her home to Greece. Laodice is swallowed by the earth, and the Pleiad Electra hides herself from sight.

Epic Cycle (1)

Epic Cycle, Summaries and Fragments 8.1–8Sack of IliumProclus' summary tells how the Trojans debated what to do with the wooden horse, some wishing to hurl it from the rocks, some to burn it and some to dedicate it to Athena. The fragments say that one Palladium was given to Dardanus, that Astyanax was hurled from the wall, and that Agamemnon gave gifts to the sons of Theseus. One fragment describes the gifts of the Earth-Shaker to Machaon and Podaleirius.