Appendix 4.7 Theseus and the Minotaur Retold

Theseus and the Minotaur

The island of Crete was one of the most beautiful places in all But Theseus could not be convinced, and he sailed for Crete of ancient Greece. It rose from a sea that changed color from with the others. The royal family greeted them at the harbor. purple to gray to blue, depending on the time of day. Ariadne, When Ariadne saw Theseus, she fell in love in with him. She the daughter of King Minos, liked to watch the ocean from knew he would die the next day if she didn’t help him, and so her window in the palace. The palace sat on a hill overlooking late that night, when everyone in the palace was sleeping, she the harbor and courtyards of fruit trees and fountains. Crete snuck down to the dungeon. She gave Theseus a ball of golden was a peaceful kingdom, until Ariadne’s brother, Androgeus, yarn and said, “Tie one end of this thread to the gate of the maze. was killed in Athens. King Minos was full of rage. As a pun- Then you can follow it back out again and you won’t be lost.” ishment, he ordered that 14 young Athenians be sent to Crete Then she unlocked the prison door, and brought Theseus to as sacrifices to the Minotaur. The Minotaur was a half‐bull, the entrance of the labyrinth. Theseus did as she said. He held half‐human monster that lived in a labyrinth under the pal- the ball of yarn in one hand as he ran through the twisting cor- ace. Crete was larger than Athens, and so the Athenians had to ridors, letting it unravel behind him. The Minotaur was fast obey: every nine years, seven Athenian boys and seven Athe- asleep in the center of the labyrinth. Theseus killed the monster, nian girls were sent to Crete, their names chosen at random. and then followed the thread back out. Ariadne was waiting for When it was time for the third sacrifice, Prince Theseus of him outside. Theseus, the young Athenians, and Ariadne hur- Athens volunteered to go. His father begged him to stay, but ried down to the harbor. They sailed away just as the sun began Theseus said, “I will kill the Minotaur. And then it will all be to rise over the purple sea. over.” “Even if you kill the monster, you’ll be lost in the labyrinth. Origin: Greek mythology You’ll never find your way out.”

Downloadable PDFs are available on PDToolkit. From Pam Allyn’s Core Ready Lesson Sets, Grades 3–5: The Shape of the Story: Yesterday and Today. © Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. 223

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