“Him whom Theseus slew in the spacious streets of Aphidnae,
    Fighting for fair-haired Helen.”

But it is not likely that if Theseus had been there, his mother and the town of Aphidnae would have been taken.

XXXIII.  After the fall of Aphidnae, the people of Athens became terrified, and were persuaded by Mnestheus to admit the sons of Tyndareus to the city, and to treat them as friends, because, he said, they were only at war with Theseus, who had been the first to use violence, and were the saviours and benefactors of the rest of mankind.  These words of his were confirmed by their behaviour, for, victorious as they were, they yet demanded nothing except initiation into the mysteries, as they were, no less than Herakles, connected with the city.  This was permitted them, and they were adopted by Aphidnus, as Herakles had been by Pylius.  They received divine honours, being addressed as “Anakes,” either because of the cessation of the war, or from the care they took, when they had such a large army within the walls of Athens, that no one should be wronged; for those who take care of or guard anything are said to do it “anakos,” and perhaps for this reason kings are called “Anaktes.”  Some say that they were called Anakas because of the appearance of their stars in the heavens above, for the Attics called “above” “anekas.”

XXXIV.  It is said that Aethra, the mother of Theseus, was carried off as a captive to Lacedaemon, and thence to Troy with Helen, and Homer supports this view, when he says that there followed Helen,

    “Aithra the daughter of Pittheus and large-eyed Klymene.”

Others reject this verse, and the legend about Mounychus, who is said to have been the bastard son of Laodike, by Demophoon, and to have been brought up in Troy by Aithra.  But Istrus, in his thirteenth book of his ‘History of Attica,’ tells quite a different and peculiar story about Aithra, that he had heard that Paris was conquered by Achilles and Patroklus near the river Spercheius, in Thessaly, and that Hector took the city of Troezen by storm, and amongst the plunder carried off Aithra, who had been left there.  But this seems impossible.

XXXV.  Now Aidoneus the Molossian king chanced to be entertaining Herakles, and related to him the story of Theseus and Peirithous, what they had intended to do, and how they had been caught in the act and punished.  Herakles was much grieved at hearing how one had perished ingloriously, and the other was like to perish.  He thought that nothing would be gained by reproaching the king for his conduct to Peirithous, but he begged for the life of Theseus, and pointed out that the release of his friend was a favour which he deserved.  Aidoneus agreed, and Theseus, when set free, returned to Athens, where he found that his party was not yet overpowered.  Whatever consecrated grounds had been set apart for him by the city, he dedicated to Herakles, and called Heraklea instead of Thesea, except four, according to Philochorus.  But, as he at once wished to preside and manage the state as before, he was met by factious opposition, for he found that those who had been his enemies before, had now learned not to fear him, while the common people had become corrupted, and now required to be specially flattered instead of doing their duty in silence.