The Legend of the Minotaur
The Minotaur was the son of Pasiphae, wife of King Minos of Crete, and a white bull sent by Poseidon, god of the sea. Minos had gravely offended Poseidon, who in revenge caused Pasiphae to fall in love with the animal. From this union was born the Minotaur, a violent creature, half man and half bull, that fed on human flesh. To conceal his shame and protect his people, King Minos begged the inventor Daedalus to build him a labyrinth from which the monster could never escape. Every nine years, in order to appease it, Minos would offer the beast seven young women and seven young men, whom he imposed as tribute on the city of Athens.
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On one occasion, Theseus volunteered as a victim, with the intention of killing the Minotaur and freeing Athens from a cruel fate. With the help of Ariadne, the king’s daughter, who had fallen in love with him, he achieved his purpose: Ariadne offers Theseus a ball of thread given to her by Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth. Having tied one end at the entrance and following the thread through the intricate twists and turns of the labyrinth, Theseus is indeed able to find his way out.