ing AEgeus was old and fearful now: there were wars and troubles in the
city; besides, there was in his palace an evil woman, a witch, to whom
the king listened. This woman heard that a proud and fearless young man
had come into Athens, and she at once thought to destroy him.

So the witch spoke to the fearful king, and she made him believe that
this stranger had come into Athens to make league with his enemies and
destroy him. Such was her power over AEgeus that she was able to
persuade him to invite the stranger youth to a feast in the palace, and
to give him a cup that would have poison in it.

Theseus came to the palace. He sat down to the banquet with the king.
But before the cup was brought something moved him to stand up and draw
forth the sword that he carried. Fearfully the king looked upon the
sword. Then he saw the heavy ivory hilt with the curious carving on it,
and he knew that this was the sword that he had once laid under the
stone near the palace of the King of Troezen. He questioned Theseus as
to how he had come by the sword, and Theseus told him how Aethra his
mother, had shown him where it was hidden, and how he had been able to
take it from under the stone before he was grown a youth. More and more
AEgeus questioned him, and he came to know that the youth before him was
his son indeed. He dashed down the cup that had been brought to the
table, and he shook all over with the thought of how near he had been
to a terrible crime. The witch-woman watched all that passed; mounting
on a car drawn by dragons she made flight from Athens.

And now the people of the city, knowing that it was he who had slain
the robbers Sinnias and Procrustes, rejoiced to have Theseus amongst
them. When he appeared as their prince they rejoiced still more. Soon
he was able to bring to an end the wars in the city and the troubles
that afflicted Athens.

II

The greatest king in the world at that time was Minos, King of Crete.
Minos had sent his son to Athens to make peace and friendship between
his kingdom and the kingdom of King AEgeus. But the people of Athens
slew the son of King Minos, and because AEgeus had not given him the
protection that a king should have given a stranger come upon such an
errand he was deemed to have some part in the guilt of his slaying.

Minos, the great king, was wroth, and he made war on Athens, wreaking
great destruction upon the country and the people. Moreover, the gods
themselves were w