Robert L. 1988. “ΑΙΓ‐ in Early Greek Language and Myth.” Phoenix 42.2: 95–113.
AEGEIDAE (Αἰγεῖδαι, οἱ)
KATHARINA WESSELMANN
Christian‐Albrechts‐University, Kiel
The Aegeidae are descendants of Aegeus, grandson of THERAS through OEOLYCUS, whose lineage traces back to POLYNEICES and CADMUS SON OF AGENOR. Herodotus describes the Aegeidae as “a big clan (megalē phylē) in Sparta” (4.149.1). There is no information in the Histories on how the mythical Theban FAMILY came to live in SPARTA, but Herodotus tells the anecdote that the family could not at first produce CHILDREN who survived to adulthood; only when they set up a temple for the avenging spirits (erinyes) of LAÏUS and OEDIPUS—apparently a RITUAL to purify the family after the horrific deeds of their ancestors—did their offspring start to flourish (4.149.2). The same legend is elsewhere cause for their EXILE: according to Pausanias, AUTESION, father of Theras, left THEBES for the PELOPONNESE because he was chased by the FURIES of Laïus and Oedipus (9.5.15). An Isthmian ode of PINDAR (Isthm. 7) and its scholia indicate that the Spartans recruited the Aegeidae in their war against Amyclae.
Herodotus tells us no more about the clan, but they must have been fairly well known to his AUDIENCE, seeing that they were linked with the royal family in Sparta through Theras, brother of the widowed queen ARGEIA and warden of her young sons and therefore, temporarily, ruler of Sparta (Hdt. 4.147). The family’s prominent status is also attested elsewhere, for example in Pausanias, who claims that Aegeus’ descendant Euryleon shared command in the first Messenian War with the two Spartan kings (4.7.8), and that Cadmus, Oeolycus, and Aegeus had shrines in Sparta (3.15.8). The Aegeidae appear several times in Pindar: they are supposed to have brought the cult of APOLLO Carneius to THERA, a colony founded by Theras (Hdt. 4.147–48), from where their descendants moved on to CYRENE (Pind. Pyth. 5.72–81) and, via various other places, to ACRAGAS in SICILY (schol. Pind. Ol. 2.16, 2.82).
SEE ALSO: Colonization; Myth; Pollution
FURTHER READING
1 Corcella in ALC, 671–76.
2 Vannicelli, Pietro. 1992. “Gli Egidi e le relazioni tra Sparta e Cirene in età arcaica.”
3 QUCC n.s. 41.2: 55–73.
AEGEIRA (Αἴγειρα, ἡ)
CHRISTOPHER BARON
University of Notre Dame
A city on the northern coast of the PELOPONNESE (BA 58 C1; Müller I, 734–35), one of the twelve cities/regions (merē) of the Achaeans. Herodotus names Aegeira as one of the original twelve CITIES of the IONIANS, before they were forced to migrate to Asia Minor by the Achaeans (1.145). According to Pausanias (7.26.2), Aegeira was formerly called Hyperesia (cf. Hom. Il. 2.573).
SEE ALSO: Achaeans (Peloponnesian); Aegae; Ethnicity
FURTHER READING
1 Anderson, J. K. 1954. “A Topographical and Historical Study of Achaea.” ABSA 49: 72–92.
2 Bammer, Anton. 2002. “Aigeira e Hyperesia.” In Gli Achei e l’identità etnica degli Achei d’occidente, edited by Emanuele Greco, 235–56. Paestum: Pandemos.
3 IACP no. 230 (479–80).
AEGEUS son of Oeolycus , see AEGEIDAE
AEGEUS (Αἰγεύς, ὁ) son of Pandion
CHRISTOPHER BARON
University of Notre Dame
Mythical king of ATHENS, son of PANDION and father of the hero THESEUS, though sometimes POSEIDON is credited with that latter role (Gantz, EGM 247–49). Herodotus mentions Aegeus in his discussion of the origins of the Lycians, who received their name from LYCUS SON OF PANDION when the latter was driven out of Athens by his brother (1.173.3). When Theseus, returning from CRETE, failed to raise the agreed‐upon signal of a successful expedition against the Minotaur, Aegeus flung himself to his death from atop the ACROPOLIS (the connection of Aegeus with the name of the AEGEAN SEA is probably a later invention: Gantz, EGM 276). SOPHOCLES and Euripides wrote Aegeus tragedies (now lost), and he played a role in some versions of the MEDEA story. Aegeus received cult worship at Athens and gave his name to one of the ten tribes of the classical DEMOCRACY.
SEE ALSO: Cleisthenes son of Megacles; Lycia; Myth
FURTHER READING
1 Kron, Uta. 1981. “Aigeus.” In LIMC I.1, 359–67.
AEGIALEAN PELASGIANS , see AEGIALEUS; PELASGIANS
AEGIALEUS (Αἰγιαλεύς, ὁ)
CHRISTOPHER BARON
University of Notre Dame
Mythical, son of Adrastus. While Adrastus was the only member of the “Seven against Thebes” to survive that attack, his son Aegialeus was the only man who perished in the second expedition (the “Epigoni”: Hellanicus BNJ 4 F100). Herodotus reports that the Sicyonians renamed a tribe “Aegialees” sixty years after the death of their tyrant CLEISTHENES. The latter had given the traditional Dorian tribes insulting names, and attempted to “drive out” the hero Adrastus, as part of his attempt to rid SICYON of Argive influence (5.68). Pausanias credits a different legendary Aegialeus with the foundation of Sicyon (2.6.5). According to STRABO, the ancient name of Sicyon was Aegialeis (8.6.25/C383), and the name continued to be used to refer to the northern coast of the PELOPONNESE; Herodotus reports that the IONIANS had been called “Pelasgian Aegialees” when they lived in that region (7.94). In fact, Aigialia appears on Linear B tablets in a context which seems to refer to the area around Sicyon (Lolos 2011, 60).
SEE ALSO: Adrastus son of Talaus; Argos; Dorians; Dymanatae; Ethnicity; Heroes and Hero Cult; Pelasgians
REFERENCE
1 Lolos, Yannis A. 2011. Land of Sikyon: Archaeology and History of a Greek City‐State. Princeton: American School of Classical Studies at Athens.
AEGICORES , see ION
AEGILEA (Αἰγίλεα, τά)
ALISON LANSKI
University of Notre Dame
A site on the west coast of EUBOEA, probably between Amarynthus and ERETRIA. Along with CHOEREAE and TEMENOS, Aegilea provided anchorage and sufficient space for Persian CAVALRY to disembark during their attack against Eretria in 490 BCE (6.101.1). The most recent editor of the Histories prints Αἰγίλεα (Aigilea) as in MS A rather than
