Pittheus

Pittheus King of Troizina

Pittheus was the son of Pelops and Hippodameia, brother of Thiestes and Atreus. He succeeded Troizina on the throne of the city of the same name, where he was said to have founded the oldest temple in Greece, dedicated to the Thearios Apollo.

He was famous for his divination art, for his wisdom and eloquence. In fact, he was considered the first to teach the art of rhetoric, for which he had left a book.

His friend was the king of Athens Aegeas, whom he hosted once. Then Aegeas mentioned to him the difficult oracle he had received from the Oracle of Delphi and that he said: “Do not untie, you, the best of people, the mouth of a wine bag, before you reach the highest part of Athens”.

Pittheus, understanding the meaning, intoxicated Aegeas and threw him on the bed of Aethra’s daughter, thus aiming to become the grandfather of the heir to the Athenian throne.

In the morning, when Aegeus recovered from his drunkenness with Aethra by his side, he persuaded her to promise him that if he had a descendant, he would raise him in the city without revealing his father’s name.

Indeed, a child named Theseus was born and raised in the palace of Pytheas’ grandfather, who also oversaw his upbringing. From this grandfather arise the rights of Theseus to the throne of Troizina.

Pittheus also undertook to raise Hippolytus, Theseus’ son from Amazona Antiope, and to prepare him for the throne of Troizina, thus solving a problem of violent succession to the throne of Athens, since Theseus had a second marriage with Phaedra and had children with her.