In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a fabulous creature, half-human and half-bull.
The word "Minotaur" comes from the Greek translation of the phrase "Minos' bull."
This creature was also known by the names Asterius or Asterion,
which were also used for the stepfather of the Cretan king Minos.
Legends tell us that before becoming king, Minos asked the god Poseidon
for a sign to assure him that he, and not his brother, was the rightful heir to the Cretan
throne (other sources say that he boasted that the gods wanted to make him king).
Poseidon agreed and sent him an exceptionally beautiful white bull,
on the condition that Minos would sacrifice the animal in honour of the god.
Minos was so amazed and captivated by the bull's beauty that he decided to keep it
and sacrificed another bull instead, hoping that the god would not notice.
Seeing this act of defiance, Poseidon became angry and, to seek revenge on Minos,
caused his wife Pasiphae to lose her mind and fall in love with the bull.
Pasiphae sought the help of Daedalus,
who constructed a wooden cow covered in hide and hollow inside.
The queen entered this contraption,
and through her union with the white bull, the Minotaur was born.
The Minotaur had a human body with the head and tail of a bull. Pasiphae nursed and
cared for him while he was an infant, but as he grew, he became ferocious.
Following the advice received from the Oracle of Delphi, Minos commanded Daedalus
(a famous engineer) to build a gigantic labyrinth to keep the monster captive.
The labyrinth was located beneath Minos' palace in Knossos.
Here I will draw a brief parallel to another famous myth from Greek mythology,
the story of Daedalus and his son Icarus, which is closely linked to our main story.
After Daedalus constructed the intricate Labyrinth for King Minos, he became aware of its secrets
and vulnerabilities. Fearing that Daedalus would reveal the Labyrinth's layout to others,
King Minos decided to imprison him and his son Icarus within its walls to ensure their silence.
But Daedalus, a resourceful man, crafted wax wings for himself and his son, allowing them to fly.
Icarus, intoxicated by flight, disregarded his father's advice not to fly too close to the sun.
However, Icarus, overcome by youthful exuberance and a sense of invincibility,
disregarded his father's warning and soared ever higher towards the sun.
The wax holding his wings together began to melt,
causing the feathers to loosen and fall apart. Tragically,
Icarus fell into the sea and drowned, unable to escape the consequences of his recklessness.
Devastated by the loss of his son,
Daedalus mourned but eventually continued his journey to safety.
The story of Daedalus and Icarus serves as a cautionary tale,
highlighting the perils of hubris and the consequences of disregarding warnings.
It also exemplifies the power of human ingenuity and determination to
overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, as seen in Daedalus'
ingenious escape from the Labyrinth and his subsequent contributions to society.
Meanwhile, in our main story, Androgeus, Minos' son, was killed by the Athenians,
who were jealous of his victories in the Panathenaic Games.
Others say that he was killed by Poseidon's white bull in Marathon, an action planned by Aegeus, the
king of Athens. To seek revenge, Minos declared war on Athens and achieved a resounding victory.
As tribute, Minos demanded every nine years (or every year,
according to some versions) seven young Athenian men and seven maidens to be
thrown into the Labyrinth and left to be killed and devoured by the Minotaur.
The Athenians lived in constant fear and despair,
knowing that their children would be sacrificed to the terrifying creature.
When the time of the third sacrifice arrived, Theseus, the son of Aegeus,
volunteered to kill the monster. Determined to end the gruesome tradition and save his people,
Theseus embarked on a perilous journey to Crete.
Upon his arrival, he caught the attention of Princess Ariadne,
Minos' daughter. Deeply smitten by Theseus, she decided to aid him in his quest.
Ariadne provided Theseus with a magical ball of thread, which he could use to find his way back
through the winding paths of the Labyrinth. She advised him to unravel the thread as he ventured
deeper into the maze so that he could retrace his steps and escape after defeating the Minotaur.
With Ariadne's help, Theseus entered the Labyrinth and followed its twisting
passages until he reached the heart of the maze.
There, he encountered the fearsome Minotaur, a monstrous creature hungry for human flesh.
Theseus fought valiantly, using his strength and wit to outmanoeuvre the beast. Finally,
he delivered a fatal blow, slaying the Minotaur and ending its reign of terror.
Using the thread as a guide, Theseus retraced his steps, making his way back through the
labyrinthine corridors until he emerged victorious, carrying the proof of his triumph.
Upon his return to Athens, he sailed back with the surviving Athenian youths and maidens,
bringing news of his victory and the end of the sacrificial tributes.
Theseus' heroic feat against the Minotaur remains
a legendary tale of bravery and triumph over monstrous adversity,
symbolising the triumph of humanity's indomitable spirit over darkness and tyranny.
I hope you have learned more about the Minotaur, of how it came into existence,
and how it was eventually defeated. If so, I fulfilled my duty for this week.
I hope you enjoyed today's episode of Mythos the Historian,
and if you liked it, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe.