Content warning: This section of the guide mentions suicide. 

After a short prelude in which he reflects on the difficulties of writing a historical account of mythical figures, Plutarch begins describing the lineage of Theseus, an important mythical king of Athens. Theseus is the son of the Athenian king Aegeus, who had no sons for many years, and a princess of Troezen named Aethra. Aegeus sleeps with Aethra after receiving an oracle warning him against getting drunk before returning home. At Troezen, however, Aegeus does get drunk, and Pittheus, the king of Troezen, tricks him into having sex with his daughter Aethra, hoping that she would bear an heir to Aegeus. Before Aegeus leaves Troezen, he hides a sword and a pair of sandals under a rock to serve as a test for his and Aethra’s child: If Aethra has a son who is strong enough to move the rock, Theseus tells her to send him to Athens.

When Aethra’s son is born, she names him Theseus. When he comes of age, he lifts the rocks and finds his father’s sword and sandals, and Aethra sends him to Athens to seek his inheritance. Theseus, hoping to gain some glory before meeting his father, decides to take the dangerous overland route to Athens rather than the safer sea route.