Shown here in this late 1800s illustration is Theseus lifting stone under which his father's sword and shoes were hidden. The Athenian hero was the son of the Greek king Aegeus. Aegeus left Theseus with his mother before the child was born. He left a sword and a pair of shoes in a hollow under a stone. Aegeus said that if Theseus, when he was old and strong enough, could roll the stone away, then he could travel to Athens to claim himself as the son of the king. Theseus, at a young age, accomplished this feat (shown here) and his mother told him what to do.

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Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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Keywords: aegeus, ancient, athenian, athens, deities, deity, father’, folklore, god, gods, greece, greek, hero, legend, myth, mythology, myths, rolls, stone, sword, tales, theseus