Who is the Aegean Sea named after?

Aegeus
Aegeus, in Greek mythology, the son of Pandion and grandson of Cecrops. He was king of Athens and the father of Theseus. Aegeus drowned himself in the sea when he mistakenly believed his son to be dead. The sea was thereafter called the Aegean.

What was the Aegean Sea called before?

the archipelago
In ancient times, the Aegean Sea was known as the archipelago. According to Greek Mythology, it took its name after Aegeus or Aegeas, the father of Theseus, who threw himself and died in the sea because he thought that his son was dead.

Why is the Aegean Sea named after King Aegeus of Athens?

His father, Aegeus previously had asked him to hang a white sail as a sign that Theseus is alive, but Theseus neglected this request. When Aegeus saw Theseus’ ships without a white sail, he assumed the worst and threw himself in his grief into the sea, named after him the Aegean Sea.

What does the word Aegean mean?

Definition of Aegean 1 : of or relating to the arm of the Mediterranean Sea east of Greece. 2 : of or relating to the chiefly Bronze Age civilization of the islands of the Aegean Sea and the countries adjacent to it.

Is Aegean a name?

According to Professor Christos Doumas, head of the archaeological excavations at Akrotiri, the name Aegean has its origin in the Homeric verb ‘aisso’ which means ‘to jump’. The derivative noun from this verb is ‘aix’ = the goat, in other words an animal that jumps.

What is the Aegean Sea called today?

Mediterranean Sea
The Aegean Sea is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans and Anatolia, and covers an area of some 215,000 square kilometres….