was come, and the fathers who
had any young men for their sons were to proceed by lot to the choice
of those that were to be sent, there arose fresh discontents and
accusations against Aegeus among the people, who were full of grief and
indignation that he, who was the cause of all their miseries, was the
only person exempt from the punishment; adopting and setting his kingdom
upon a foreign son, he took no thought, they said, of their destitution
and loss of their lawful children. These things sensibly affected
Theseus, who, thinking it but just not to disregard, but rather partake
of, the sufferings of his fellow citizens, offered himself for one
without any lot. All else were struck with admiration for the nobleness,
and with love for the goodness, of the act; and Aegeus, after prayers
and entreaties, finding him inflexible and not to be persuaded,
proceeded to the choosing of the rest by lot. Hellanicus, however, tells
us that the Athenians did not send the young men and virgins by lot,
but that Minos himself used to come and make his own choice, and pitched
upon Theseus before all others; according to the conditions agreed upon
between, namely, that the Athenians should furnish them with a ship, and
that the young men who were to sail with him should carry no weapon of
war; but that if the Minotaur was destroyed the tribute should cease.

On the two former occasions of the payment of the tribute, entertaining
no hopes of safety or return, they sent out the ship with a black sail,
as to unavoidable destruction; but now, Theseus encouraging his father
and speaking greatly of himself, as confident that he should kill the
Minotaur, he gave the pilot another sail, which was white, commanding
him, as he returned, if Theseus were safe, to make use of that; but
if not, to sail with the black one, and to hang out that sign of his
misfortune. Simonides says that the sail which Aegeus delivered to the
pilot was not white, but

Scarlet, in the juicy bloom
Of the living oak-tree steeped.

The lot being cast, and Theseus having received out of the Prytaneum
those upon whom it fell, he went to the Delphinium, and made an offering
for them to Apollo of his suppliant's badge, which was a bough of a
consecrated olive tree, with white wool tied about it.

Having thus performed his devotion, he went to sea, the sixth day of
Munychion, on which day even to this time the Athenians send their
virgins to the same temple to