The myth of Aegeas, "founding fathers" of the Aegean Sea

In Greek mythology, Aegeus or Aegeas, was an archaic figure in the founding myth of Athens. The "goat-man" (goat in ancient Greek is “aega”) who gave his name to the Aegean Sea was, along with Poseidon, the father of Theseus, the founder of Athenian institutions and one of the kings of Athens. As the subject of myth, the existence of Aegeus and Theseus as real persons has not been proven, but scholars believe that they must have been alive during the Late Bronze Age, in the 8th or 9th century BC.

The king had no male heir and asked the oracle at Delphi for advice. The words of the oracle were "Do not loosen the bulging mouth of the wineskin until you have reached the height of Athens, lest you die of grief." Aegeus did not understand the prophecy and was disappointed. He then visited Pittheus, king of Troezen, who was famous for his wisdom and skill at expounding oracles. Pittheus understood the prophecy and introduced Aegeus to his daughter, Aethra, when Aegeus was drunk. They lay with each other, and then in some versions, Aethra waded to the island of Sphairia (a.k.a. Calauria) and bedded Poseidon. When Aethra became pregnant, Aegeus decided to return to Athens. Before leaving, he buried his sandal, shield, and sword under a huge rock and told her that, when their son grew up, he should move the rock and bring the weapons to his father, who would acknowledge him.

While visiting in Athens, King Minos' son, Androgeus managed to defeat Aegeus in every contest during the Panathenaic Games. Out of envy, Aegeus sent him to conquer the Marathonian Bull, which killed him. Cretan king Minos was angry and declared war on Athens. He offered the Athenians peace, however, under the condition that Athens would send seven young men and seven young women every nine years to Crete to be fed to the Minotaur.

Meanwhile in Troezen, Aethra’s son Theseus grew up and became a brave young man. He managed to move the rock and took his father's weapons. His mother then told him the identity of his father and that he should take the weapons back to him at Athens and be acknowledged. When Theseus arrived in Athens, he did not reveal his true identity. He was welcomed by Aegeus, who was suspicious about the stranger who came to Athens. Medea, king Aegeus wife at that time, tried to have Theseus killed by encouraging Aegeus to ask him to capture the Marathonian Bull, but Theseus succeeded. She tried to poison him, but at the last second, Aegeus recognized his son and knocked the poisoned cup out of Theseus' hand.

Theseus departed for Crete as part of the tribute owned to the Cretan King Minos. Upon his departure, Aegeus told him to put up white sails when returning if he was successful in killing the Minotaur. However, when Theseus returned, he forgot these instructions and left the black sails instead. When Aegeus saw the black sails coming into Athens, believing that his son had been slain and he killed himself by jumping from the cliff at the edge of the Temple of Poseidon in Sounio.

The sea in which he fell and met his death was named since then the Aegean Sea.

Sources,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aegeus

The photos are mine and I took them from Temple of Poseidon in Sounio.