THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR – Let us read the famous story of Theseus and the Minotaur with a moral lesson and summary. It is one of the most famous enduring myths in ancient Greece. Theseus is the son of King Aegeus of Athens and the Minotaur, a half-man and half-bull.
There are many versions of this story, but one states that the city of Athens was responsible for the death of Androgeus, the son of the ruler of Crete, King Minos. He then avenged his son and captured Athens. The war between the two kingdoms was the most famous in Greek mythology. Continue reading to know the whole story below.
Theseus And The Minotaur
Once upon a time, the powerful ruler of Crete, King Minos, had seized Athens. The city of Athens was responsible for the death of Androgeus, the son of King Minos. He forced them for terrible tributes. Seven of the best and most noble youths and seven of the finest and most virtuous maidens must be sent to Crete as tributes every nine years. They obeyed the mighty King Minos, for the people had no choice.
The Labyrinth is a twisting maze that was impossible to escape from where the victims were sent. Impossible to leave the Labyrinth; a half-bull and half-man creature, the Minotaur, ate them.
For quite some time, this practice never stopped. As the son of King Aegeus of Athens, Theseus offered himself to be one of the victims so he could kill the terrible monster. He embarked on the journey and set off in a boat with a black sail. Theseus assured his father he would return if fortunate, and he would hoist a white sail on his ship.
On the other hand, the victims arrived in Crete. The daughter of King Minos, Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus as he passed her. She begged the maze designer, Daedalus, to help her by giving her a ball of thread.
In return for a promise of marriage, Ariadne gave the thread and a sword to Theseus. Upon entering the Labyrinth, Theseus tied the thread on the doorpost, untangling it as he went. Theseus would have no fear even if the Labyrinth were dark and frightening. He was confident he could kill the Minotaur and return to Athens victoriously.
At last, Theseus reached the heart of the Labyrinth, where the Minotaur was sleeping. The creature woke up, for he felt Theseus’s presence. They fought ferociously until Theseus finally ended the beast’s life. He then followed back the thread safely out of the Labyrinth. Theseus led the other victims and Ariadne to his ship and set sail for Athens.
Sadly, on their journey to Athens, Ariadne died. Because of it, Theseus was so upset that he forgot to hoist a white sail. His father, King Aegeus, only saw the black sail. In grief, the king threw himself off the cliff and into the sea. Until then, that sea was named the Aegean Sea.
Story Analysis of Theseus And The Minotaur
Based on the myth, King Minos was imprisoning his adversaries in the labyrinth to be eaten by the Minotaur. Daedalus made the labyrinth such a complicated maze that no one could ever find the way out alive.
Androgeus, son of King Minos of Crete, died, and the city of Athens was responsible for the killing. With it, King Minos was enraged and demanded King Aegeus of Athens that every nine years, he will send seven maidens and seven youths to compensate for the death of his son. They were sent straight to the labyrinth so the Minotaur could eat them.
Theseus And The Minotaur Moral Lesson
- Ignorance is the hiatus of evil.
- The Minotaur was the product of ignorance. Instead of getting rid of the beast, King Minos ordered making a labyrinth for it. He even sent victims to be eaten by the Minotaur. As a result, the Minotaur was ignorant and evil enough to end the innocent lives of its victims.
- Courage always wins if you ignore fear.
- Theseus volunteered to be one of the victims sent to the labyrinth. His courageous purpose was to kill the Minotaur to end the killings that it does. He was successful with his mission because he ignored fear to help the people from the Minotaur.
- Learn to prioritize good judgment and thoughtfulness over excitement.
- From the story, Theseus should have been thoughtful enough to hoist the white sail upon returning to Athens. Because of forgetting to do so, his father, King Aegeus, thought that he was dead and ended his life too.
Theseus And The Minotaur Summary
The story states that King Minos of Crete had seized Athens, for the city was responsible for the death of his son Androgeus. He forced them to every nine years they will send seven maidens and seven youths to Crete. They will be sent to the Labyrinth to be eaten by the half-bull, and half-man beasts called the Minotaur.
The time comes that Theseus, the son of King Aegeus of Athens, offers himself to be one of the victims to be sent to the Labyrinth. He embarked on the journey and promised to hoist a white if he returned successfully in killing the Minotaur. In Crete, Ariadne, the daughter of King Minos, falls in love with Theseus upon seeing him. She gave him a ball of thread and a sword in return for marriage. Theseus successfully killed the beasts, but Ariadne died upon sailing back to Athens. Because of sadness, Theseus forgot to hoist a white sail. His father thought that he was dead and also ended his life.
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