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Aithra

Aithra, also spelled Aethra, is a figure in Greek mythology best known as the mother of Theseus, the legendary founder-king of Athens. Classical sources typically identify her as the daughter of Pittheus, king of Troezen, linking Theseus to the city and its royal line.

Paternity and lineage vary by tradition. In the most common accounts Theseus is described as the son

Life and role. Aithra’s primary place in the Theseus legends is as the mother who raises the

In literature and tradition, Aithra is typically portrayed as a maternal figure who anchors Theseus’ early

See also: Theseus, Pittheus.

of
Aegeus,
the
king
of
Athens,
with
Aithra
as
his
mortal
mother.
Other
traditions
also
credit
Poseidon,
the
sea
god,
as
a
divine
father
of
Theseus,
making
him
the
offspring
of
both
mortal
and
godly
parentage.
The
exact
paternal
claim
differs
across
authors
and
periods,
reflecting
the
myth’s
flexible
transmission.
hero
in
Troezen
and
whose
lineage
ties
Theseus
to
the
Aegean
region.
The
story
of
Theseus’
birth
and
upbringing
leads
to
his
later
journey
to
Athens,
prompted
by
the
tokens
left
by
Aegeus—a
sword
and
sandals
hidden
under
a
rock—that
Theseus
must
retrieve
to
prove
his
identity
and
claim
his
destined
throne.
life,
rather
than
as
a
central
protagonist.
Her
name
appears
across
ancient
poems
and
dramas
as
the
mother
of
a
major
Greek
hero,
ensuring
her
place
in
the
broader
Theseus
mythos.