The Volokh Conspiracy - The Most Jewish Greek Myth:

The myth of Aegeus:

When Theseus set out to defeat the Minotaur on Crete, Aegeus made him promise to set white sails on the way back, so that he would understand if the mission had been successful. Theseus, however, forgot to do so, and when Aegeas saw the ship return with black sails, he committed suicide by throwing himself off a cliff into the sea. From that day, the sea was named after him: the Aegean Sea.

The Moral: Call your parents. Make sure they know you're OK. They worry, you know?

	[Eugene Volokh, July 11, 2009 at 1:59pm] Trackbacks The Most Jewish Greek Myth: The myth of Aegeus: When Theseus set out to defeat the Minotaur on Crete, Aegeus made him promise to set white sails on the way back, so that he would understand if the mission had been successful. Theseus, however, forgot to do so, and when Aegeas saw the ship return with black sails, he committed suicide by throwing himself off a cliff into the sea. From that day, the sea was named after him: the Aegean Sea. The Moral: Call your parents. Make sure they know you're OK. They worry, you know?