Pausanias Description of Greece 1.3.3

[3] A portico is built behind with pictures of the gods called the Twelve. On the wall opposite are painted Theseus, Democracy and Demos. The picture represents Theseus as the one who gave the Athenians political equality. By other means also has the report spread among men that Theseus bestowed sovereignty upon the people, and that from his time they continued under a democratical government, until Peisistratus rose up and became despot. ¹ But there are many false beliefs current among the mass of mankind, since they are ignorant of historical science and consider trustworthy whatever they have heard from childhood in choruses and tragedies; one of these is about Theseus, who in fact himself became king, and afterwards, when Menestheus was dead, the descendants of Theseus remained rulers even to the fourth generation. But if I cared about tracing the pedigree I should have included in the list, besides these, the kings from Melanthus to Cleidicus the son of Aesimides.

[3] Another portico [ stoā] is built behind [the one I just talked about], and this one has paintings [ graphai] of the gods called the Twelve. On the wall opposite are painted [ graphesthai] Theseus, [personified] Democracy [ Dēmokratiā], and [personified] Dēmos. The painting [ graphē] represents Theseus as the one who established for the Athenians a system of governance [ politeuesthai] on-an-equal-footing [ ex isou]. In other ways as well did the story [ phēmē] spread among the people—the story that Theseus bestowed upon them the management of their own affairs [ pragmata], and that from his time onward the people continued to have-a-democratic government [ dēmokrateîsthai], until the emergence of Peisistratos, who became-tyrant [ turanneîn]. 15

Granted, the majority of people tell and are told many other things as well—things that are not true [ alēthē], since people are ignorant of scientific-research [ historiā] and consider trustworthy whatever they have heard, from childhood onward, in choruses [ khoroi] and tragedies [ tragōidiai]. There are stories like that also concerning Theseus, who himself became king, and afterwards, when Menestheus died, the descendants of Theseus remained rulers even to the fourth generation [ geneā]. But if I cared about tracing-lineages [ geneālogeîn] I should have included in the counting, besides these, the kings starting from Melanthos extending all the way to Kleidikos the son of Aisimides.