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.