ch city should have an
independent sovereignty. "The patriotism of a Greek was confined to
his city, and rarely kindled into any general love for the common
welfare of Hellas."[22]

[Footnote 22: Smith.]

A Greek citizen of Athens was an alien in any other city of the
peninsula. This political disunion caused the various cities to
turn against each other, and laid them open to conquest by the
Macedonians.

As he [Theseus] proceeded on his way, and reached the river Cephisus,
men of the Phytalid race were the first to meet and greet him. He
demanded to be purified from the guilt of bloodshed, and they purified
him, made propitiatory offerings, and also entertained him in their
houses, being the first persons from whom he had received any kindness
on his journey.

It is said to have been on the eighth day of the month Cronion, which is
now called Hecatombaion, that he came to his own city. On entering it he
found public affairs disturbed by factions, and the house of AEgeus in
great disorder; for Medea, who had been banished from Corinth, was
living with AEgeus, and had engaged by her drugs to enable AEgeus to have
children. She was the first to discover who Theseus was, while AEgeus,
who was an old man, and feared every one because of the disturbed state
of society, did not recognize him. Consequently she advised AEgeus to
invite him to a feast, that she might poison him.

Theseus accordingly came to AEgeus's table. He did not wish to be the
first to tell his name, but, to give his father an opportunity of
recognizing him, he drew his sword, as if he meant to cut some of the
meat with it, and showed it to AEgeus. AEgeus at once recognized it,
overset the cup of poison, looked closely at his son, and embraced him.
He then called a public meeting and made Theseus known as his son to the
citizens, with whom he was already very popular because of his bravery,
It is said that when the cup was overset the poison was spilt in the
place where now there is the enclosure in the Delphinium, for there
AEgeus dwelt; and the Hermes to the east of the temple there they call
the one who is "at the door of AEgeus."

But the sons of Pallas, who had previously to this expected that they
would inherit the kingdom on the death of AEgeus without issue, now that
Theseus was declared the heir, were much enraged, first that AEgeus
should be king, a man who was merely an adopted child of Pandion, a