EGEUS. Aegeus, son of Pandion, was king of Athens and father of Theseus. After Androgeus, Prince of Crete, was slain in Athens, his father Minos exacted a tribute of youths and maidens to feed the Minotaur, which he kept in a labyrinth. Theseus accompanied the youths to Crete, slew the Minotaur with Ariadne's help, and set sail for home. But he forgot that he had promised his father to change the black funereal sails of the ship to white sails if he returned victorious. Aegeus, seeing the black sails and thinking his son dead, threw himself into the sea, which now bears his name (Met VII.402-450; VIII.169-182; OM, VIII.1083-1394).

In The Knight's Tale Egeus is still alive and appears after Arcite's death. He speaks the famous lines:

This world nys but a thurghfare ful of wo,
And we been pilgrymes, passynge to and fro (KnT 2847-2848).

After his funeral oration, KnT 2837-2852, he walks at the right side of the bier in the funeral procession, KnT 2905. Egeus must send his son, Theseus, as part of the tribute to Minos of Crete since the lot falls on him, LGW 1944-1947. [Theseus]

Egeus, the medieval Latin and OF form, occurs only in final rhyming positions, KnT 2838, 2905, LGW 1944.