Fact Sheet The Minotaur In which Theseus enters a labyrinth to find a monster Many moons ago, when the land was still young, the isle of Crete was ruled by the King Asterion. When he died, it was not clear which of his sons should take the throne. Minos, whose name actually means king, asserted that the right to the throne was his as, it was the will of the gods that he should rule. As proof of this, he claimed that whatever he prayed for, the gods would provide. One day, as Minos was making a sacrifice to Poseidon, the god of the ocean, he prayed that a bull should emerge from the depths of the sea. In return, he would sacrifice that bull in Poseidon’s honour. When a magnificent bull arose from the sea, Minos’ claim was proved. Minos’ brothers, Sarpedon and Rhadamanthus, did not dare to defy the gods and relinquished their claims to the throne. Having gained power, Minos banished his brothers from Crete. However, he did not Greek Myths: The Minotaur | Page 1 copyright 2019 Fact Sheet fulfill his promise to Poseidon. The bull was such a superb beast that he decided to sacrifice a lesser creature in its place. Poseidon was so angered by this betrayal that he conspired with the goddess Aphrodite to punish the king. When Minos’ wife gave birth, the child she bore was like no other; it had the head and tail of a bull. The queen named her child Asterion, but as it grew the people gave it a new title: Minotaur. As a bull calf the creature could be kept and nourished within the castle walls. But as it grew, so did its strength, its ferocity and its appetite. Unable to find a suitable source of food, the Minotaur began to eat people. Minos wanted to have the beast killed but feared that this might anger the gods. Under the advice of an oracle, he ordered that a large maze called a labyrinth should be constructed to hold his son. The craftsman Daedalus built a labyrinth underground. Such was his cunning, that the maze’s design was so intricate even he had difficulty finding his way out. The Minotaur was banished into the labyrinth’s depths to be hidden from view of the palace. The beast would happily have been forgotten about, had the walls of the palace not shaken to his great roars of hunger; roars that would only be silenced if fresh victims were sent into his lair at regular intervals. King Minos had another son, a human boy called Androgeos. Androgeos was a gifted athlete. When he competed in the Panathenic Games in Athens, the Athenians were so jealous of his skill that they had him killed. Minos swore revenge for this act and sent his armies sailing across the sea to exact vengeance on the Athenians. The armies of Athens were no match for those of Crete. There was only one way that Aegeus, the Athenian king, was able to save his people. He was forced to pay the Cretans a cruel tribute: each nine years he would have to send nine maidens and nine youths to Crete as tribute. The tribute would be led into the labyrinth. There they would wander the endless stone corridors, lost and confused, until they encountered the Minotaur. The beast would devour each one of them. Twice King Aegeus guiltily watched as his boat left the Athenian Greek Myths: The Minotaur | Page 2 copyright 2019 Fact Sheet harbour taking some of his people to their deaths. He knew that the tribute he paid was too much, but he also knew that the strength of the Cretan navy was too much for his kingdom. As the time for the third tribute approached, his son Theseus came to him and said, “Father, I too am young. Include me as part of the tribute. Let me journey to Crete, slay the Minotaur and end the misery of our people.” Theseus promised that, were he victorious, he would return to Athens with the ship flying white sails to signify his victory. If he failed or was killed, the crew were to return with black sails raised. Aegeus was aware of the feelings of discontent which had brewed in the hearts of his citizens ever since the first tribute. He knew that the crown he wore could easily be wrested from his head, should the mood of the people change. His heart was heavy as he agreed to include Theseus in the next tribute. When Theseus arrived in Crete, the daughters of Minos, Ariadne and Phaedra, fell deeply in love with him. Unable to cope with the idea of Theseus being eaten by the Minotaur, Ariadne went to the master craftsman Daedalus for help. Daedalus gave Araidne a ball of string. Theseus would be able to use the string to navigate his way out of the labyrinth. Theseus accepted the string and the next morning, was thrust into the labyrinth with his fellow Athenians. Upon entering the maze, he tied one end to the wooden door and the other around his wrist. As the tribute descended into the shadowy depths of the maze, the string trailed behind him, showing the way back to freedom. The string was not the only thing which Ariadne had given Theseus. In his hand, he clutched a sword. Theseus did not know how long they wandered the labyrinth but eventually, all paths led to the furthest corner of the maze and the lair of the Minotaur. The beast stood waiting in a room littered with bones. It had smelt Theseus’ approach and the scent of the Greek Myths: The Minotaur | Page 3 copyright 2019 Fact Sheet young man awoke a great hunger in his belly; the bones of its earlier victims were long since picked clean. Theseus also knew that he was getting closer to the Minotaur and secreted himself in a twist of the maze. He called out to the creature, taunting it, and it charged. So great was the Minotaur’s speed that it was unable to slow down as it approached Theseus. He leapt out of the way of the mighty horns and the beast crashed into the stone wall. While it was still stunned from the impact, Theseus thrust his sword forward. The blade pierced the beast’s side it fell to the ground. The Minotaur let out a great bellow which shook the walls of the maze and then it fell silent. It had claimed its last victim. Using Ariadne’s gift, Theseus was able to retrace his path through the labyrinth and back to the wooden door. Here, Ariadne was anxiously waiting for him. “Princess, without your help, I would not have survived the labyrinth,” he said. “How can I repay you?” “Take me back to Athens with you,” came the reply, “and I shall be your bride.” With Ariadne, Phaedra and the other Athenians, Theseus set sail to return to Athens. The journey was long, and the ship stopped at the island of Naxos to gather supplies. Theseus watched as Ariadne walked to the end of the beach, paddling in the waves. “Set sail,” he instructed the boat’s captain, “ as fast as you can.” The boat swiftly left the shores of Naxos and Ariadne behind. Theseus was overjoyed, for Phaedra had agreed to be his wife. His cruel laughter carried far and was heard by Poseidon. The god was so angered by Theseus’ betrayal that he sent a storm to the boat. The white sails, ripped and torn, fell into the sea. The boat’s captain was forced to replace them with the black sails. After his adventures, Theseus forgot what the black sails were meant to portend. As his boat sailed into the Athenian harbour, the news soon reached his father that the black sails were flying. Aegeus was so overcome with grief that he took himself to the highest cliff overlooking the harbour and leapt to his death. Greek Myths: The Minotaur | Page 4 copyright 2019.