The Minotaur

Just after there arrival in Cnossus / Crete, the fourteen Athenians where brought to the palace in front of king Minos. Minos who was a cruel king, loved to play with the Minotaurs victims.

- You all know your fait here, said Minos. The Minotaur. Does any of you want to fight him?

- I, said Theseus. Let me in the labyrinth with my sword and I will face the monster.

- Oh, the lucky diver is now a hero too! said Minos laughing.

- I am Theseus, and if I kill your monster do you promise to let us return to Athens?

- Ha ha ha... alright, tomorrow morning you can be his first dish, and if you ever escape the labyrinth I give you my word that I will set you all free.

Ariadne, king's Minos daughter who was standing by, admired so much Theseus courage and his looks, that she decided to help the young hero. She fell in love with him at first sight.

During the night Ariadne sneak into the prisoners quarters and gave Theseus a clew which she had obtained from Daedalus, and that it was to prove invaluable in his quest to survive the terrors of the labyrinth.

The maze had been so cleverly and intricately contrived by the master builder Daedalus that once thrown inside, a victim could never find the way out again. Sooner or later, he or she would round a corner and come face to face with the all-devouring Minotaur. This was the fate which awaited Theseus.

It is clear from the myth that the Labyrinth was a maze from which none could escape because it was so diabolically meandering. Hence the Minotaur was not just its monster but its prisoner.

- Who are you? Said Theseus and admired her beauty.

- I am Ariadne the daughter of the king and I am here to help you. Listen to me. You will enter the labyrinth easily, and maybe you will kill the Minotaur, but you will never find your way out of it. If I tell you how to get out of the labyrinth do you promise to marry me and take with you to Athens?

Theseus, promised the princess that he will do so, and then Ariadne gave him a ball of thread and explained to him what to do.

Next morning when Theseus first entered the maze he tied
off one end of the ball of thread which Ariadne had
given him, and he played out the
thread as he advanced deeper and
deeper into the labyrinthine
passages. In the heart of
the maze our hero faced the
bloodthirsty monster.
The Minotaur attacked him at
once. But Theseus was not an
easy adversary, after all he
was the first man who
mastered the art of wrestling.
With few clever holds, he
managed to immobilize the monster
and with a quick blow of his sword
he killed the Minotaur.
Then he followed the thread back
to the entrance.Otherwise he
would have died of starvation
before making his escape.

When Theseus came out of the
labyrinth with a blooded sword
in his hands, his comrades started
cheering with tears of joy in their eyes.
Theseus, by killing the Minotaur he did not only save his own
life, but theirs too, and he ended the tribute of the

Athenians to the Cretan king who was not happy but he kept his promise and set them free.

Next day Theseus kept his promise to Ariadne and took her with him. Theseus now eloped with Ariadne, pausing only long enough to put holes in the bottom of her father's ships so that he could not pursue.

Sailing back to Athens made everyone so happy that they party for so long and forgot to change the sails of the ship to white. But there was still time before they come to Attica.

It was night when they reached the island of Naxos and they all camp and feast on the beach. Soon after they all slept happily by the fire.