Minos, king of Crete, whose son Androgeos had been insulted (or killed) in Athens, was demanding an annual gift from the Athenians in recompense. Each year seven boys and seven girls traveled to the island of Crete to try to escape from the Labyrinth at Knossos in which roamed the Minotaur, a terrifying monster that was part man and part bull. No one had ever returned alive from the Labyrinth. One year Theseus volunteered (or was specially chosen) to lead the expedition to Crete. He set sail for the island on the same ship as Minos.
During the journey to Crete, Minos tossed a ring overboard and dared Theseus to retrieve it. Minos believed that this would test rumors that Poseidon was Theseus’s father. Theseus accepted the challenge and leaped into the sea. In its depths he was welcomed by the sea goddess Amphitrite and other sea nymphs. They gave him a magnificent crimson cloak and a shining crown adorned with dark roses. Everyone on board the ship was amazed when dolphins carried Theseus back to the surface, wearing the gleaming crown and holding Minos’s ring. Although it was clear to Minos that Theseus had been protected by Poseidon, he was sure that the Minotaur would kill Theseus.
At Knossos, Theseus won the attention of Minos’s daughter, Princess Ariadne. When he set off to face the Minotaur, she gave him a ball of thread to unwind as he
Minoans and Mycenaeans in Crete
Theseus's liberation of Athens from paying tribute to Crete by killing the Minotaur is a mythical event. However, there is a historical parallel: the Mycenaeans, Greek-speaking people inhabiting the area we now know as Greece, overthrew the Minoan civilization on Crete in about 1400 BCE. Perhaps the historical event lies behind the story of Theseus's killing of the Minotaur.
Archaeologists who have examined ruins of the Minoan civilization on Crete, including ancient records of trade transactions between Cretans and other Mediterranean nations, speculate that there were a number of causes for the downfall of the Minoans. One popular explanation is that there was an enormous volcanic eruption on a nearby island around 1600 BCE that led to widespread devastation in the area. Tidal waves apparently traveled from the center of the eruption to northern Crete, where they demolished many palaces, including Knossos itself.
After the catastrophe some Minoan survivors migrated to mainland Greece, and those that stayed were later subjugated by invading Mycenaeans. Archaeologists and historians suggest that evidence of an invasion of Crete is indicated by the existence of two different languages on many ancient Cretan trade documents. They argue that Minoan scribes were recording transactions in a Minoan form and in another language that their new rulers, the Mycenaeans, could understand.
Right: Although most of the palace of Knossos was devastated around 1500 BCE, some parts still stand, including the northwest portico, pictured here.
Made his way through the Labyrinth so that he would not get lost. Eventually Theseus confronted the Minotaur and, using a sword, club, or his hands, killed it. Then, retracing his steps using the thread, Theseus and the others made their way safely out of the Labyrinth. Theseus then set sail for Athens, taking Ariadne with him.
However, Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the first island they came to—some say it was the little island of Dia, but a more common myth claims it was Naxos. Before leaving Ariadne, Theseus gave to her the crown that he had received from Amphitrite. Dionysus, god of wine, saw the lonely princess and rescued her. According to one version of the myth, he put the crown into the sky, and it is now known as the constellation Corona, the Crown.
When Theseus had left Athens, he had told his father that he would change the sails of his ship from a dark color to white if his expedition was successful, but
Theseus forgot his promise. From his position on a cliff top, Aegeus saw Theseus’s ship return but saw that its sails were dark. Believing that his son was dead, he threw himself into the sea. Legend has it that this is how the Aegean Sea received its name.
Following Aegeus’s death, Theseus became king of Athens. He made the city strong and prosperous, and he became known for his wisdom and compassion. Various myths say that Theseus greatly improved the lives of the citizens. Developments were credited to him that were in fact instituted over several hundred years. Various legends claim that he united all of the small villages around Athens into a single political unit, over which he ruled. Theseus also supposedly instituted the Panathenaia, the all-Athens festival that Athenians celebrated each year in honor of Athena, goddess of war. In many legends about Theseus, he is not only revered as a great hero but also remembered as a great political leader.
World History
