JEGADES, or JEGATES, a group of islands off the western coast of Sicily, between Trapani and Marsala, consisting of Maretimo, Levauzo, and Favignana. These islands are rendered historically famous by the great naval victory gained there by the Romans over the Carthaginians in B.C. 241, which put an end to the first Punic war.

iEGEAN SEA, a part of the Mediterranean, now more usually called the Archipelago or Grecian Archipelago, bounded on the north by Thrace and Macedonia, on the west by Greece, and on the cast by Asia Minor. The origin of the name is uncertain. Various derivations are given by the ancient grammarians - one from the town of JEgae ; another from .tEgea, queen of the amazons, who perished in this sea ; and a third from JEgeus, the father of Theseus, who threw himself headlong into it. See ARCHIPELAGO.

)EGEUS, in Fabulous History, the son of Pandion, was king of Athens, and the father of Theseus. He was one of the Athenian heroes, but is notable chiefly for the manner of his death. The Athenians having killed Androgens, the son of Minos, king of Crete, for carrying away the prize for wrestling from them, Minos made war upon them; and being victorious, imposed this severe condition on Jigens, that he should annually send into Crete seven of the noblest of the Athenian youths and as many maidens, chosen by lot, to be devoured by the Minotaur. On the fourth year of this tribute the choice fell on Theseus, or, as others say, he himself entreated to be sent. The king at his son's departure gave orders that, as the ship sailed with black sails, it should return with the same in case he perished; but if he came back victorious he should change them for white. When Theseus returned from Crete after killing the Minotaur, lie forgot to change the sails in token of his victory; according to the agreement; and his father, who sat on a rock watching the return of the vessel, imagining from the black sails that his son was dead, cast himself headlong into the sea, which was supposed in consequence to have obtained the name of the ./Eyean Sea. The Athenians decreed divine honours to YEgeus, and sacrificed to him as a marine deity and an adopted son of Neptune.