Mythology Chapter 10: Theseus and the Minotaur

Aegeus and Family

• Aegeus was an early king of Athens, Greece.
• Aethra, a princess met by Aegeus, became his lover and the mother of Theseus.
• Theseus was instructed by Aegeus to retrieve his sword and sandals from under a large rock in Athens when he turned 18.
• Aegeus and Aethra's son, Theseus, traveled to Athens overland.

Challengers on the Journey

• Sinis, known as the Tree Snapper, killed victims by tying them to bent trees, a fate he faced at the hands of Theseus.
• Procrustes, the innkeeper and father of Sinis, had two beds where he would stretch or cut his guests to fit them and was also killed by Theseus.

Aegeus and Medea

• Aegeus married Medea, a powerful witch and niece of Circe, who had a tumultuous history including aiding Jason in acquiring the Golden Fleece.
• Aegeus and Medea attempted to murder Theseus by offering him poisoned wine, believing he sought to become king.

The Minotaur and Crete

• Athens was forced to send 14 children annually to Crete as part of a lottery, to be sacrificed to the Minotaur.
• King Minos of Crete resided in Knossos and was a son of Zeus and Europa, who was abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull.

Minos’ Family

• Europa was also the sister of Cadmus, the Theban founder.
• Minos had three notable children: Androgeos, Ariadne, and Phaedra, along with accomplished siblings Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon.

Divine Interactions and Punishments

• Minos worshipped Poseidon, who provided a magnificent white bull intended for sacrifice.
• Minos, in an act of hubris, substituted his own bull for Poseidon’s gift, prompting divine retribution leading to Pasiphae's unnatural love for the bull and the birth of the Minotaur.

The Minotaur and the Labyrinth

• The Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull creature, was contained in a labyrinth designed by the inventor Daedalus.
• Daedalus constructed a wooden cow for Pasiphae, enabling her to mate with the bull.

Events Leading to Theseus' Adventure

• Androgeos was killed in a hunting accident, prompting the tragic lottery for tributes to Crete.
• Theseus volunteered to be one of the tributes, sailing with a black sail signaling his fate.

Theseus and Ariadne

• On the island of Naxos, Theseus left Ariadne, whom he loved, after killing the Minotaur.
• Daedalus provided Theseus with a plan involving a ball of twine to navigate the labyrinth and a sword to defeat the Minotaur.

The Tragic Return

• Theseus forgot to change the black sail to white upon his return, leading Aegeus to believe he was dead. Aegeus subsequently jumped into the sea, which was named the Aegean Sea in his memory.

Encounters After Crete

• The Amazons were a fierce tribe of warrior women; Theseus captured their queen, Hippolyta.
• The fate of Hippolyta and Theseus's child remains unspecified.