The Minotaur is a Greek mythological figure that had the features of an anthropomorphic bull: half man and half bull. The story of the Minotaur, between myth and legend.
The Minotaur is a creature from Greek mythology linked to the legend of Theseus and Minos. This figure, with a human body and the head of a bull, was born from the union between Pasiphae, wife of Minos, and a sacred bull. The creature was locked in the famous labyrinth of Crete, designed by Daedalus . Legend has it that Theseus, aided by Ariadne, daughter of Minos, managed to enter the labyrinth, kill the Minotaur and free Athens from the tribute of human victims imposed by Minos.
The Minotaur: summary
The myth of the Minotaur has its roots in Crete : here reigned a king whose subjects believed him illegitimate, King Minos , son of the union between Zeus and Europa. Minos , worried about not being well regarded by his citizens, asks the god of the sea, Poseidon , for a bull as a gift as a sign of Olympus’ approval of his kingdom.
The bull received as a gift from Poseidon was a beautiful white bull that Minos was supposed to sacrifice. However, given the beauty of the animal, Minos decides not to sacrifice the bull and to use it for his herds. Poseidon, after discovering that Minos had not sacrificed the animal, decides to punish the king and make Minos’ wife, Pasiphae , fall in love with the bull.
Minotaur: labyrinth
From the union between Pasiphae and the bull was born the Minotaur , a legendary and monstrous creature half bull and half man. Despite his human legs, his animal nature made him wild and dangerous for the citizens. Minos then decided to lock him in the labyrinth of Knossos , a labyrinth-shaped palace built by Daedalus.
Where the Minotaur was locked up
Daedalus had been initiated by Athena into the inventions of industry and art: for King Minos he built a palace from which it was impossible to exit, a large labyrinth made up of rooms, corridors, false entrances and false exits.
What did the Minotaur eat?
After the Athenians killed Minos ‘ son Antrogeus , the king of Crete ordered that every year, for all the years to come, the city of Athens should send him, every year, seven sons and seven maidens to sacrifice to the Minotaur who fed on human flesh .
Theseus and the Minotaur
Convinced that he can defeat the Minotaur, Theseus , the son of the king of Athens Aegeus and in love with Ariadne , daughter of Minos and Pasiphae, volunteers to be one of the sacrificial children. Ariadne, before Theseus enters the labyrinth, offers the boy a thread from a ball of yarn that he should unroll inside the labyrinth so as not to lose his way out.
Theseus defeats the Minotaur and, together with Ariadne, sets off again towards Athens , but during the crossing, the young boy abandons his beloved on the deserted island of Naxos. Left alone, Ariadne begins to cry until she is comforted and kidnapped by Dionysus . Poseidon, furious with Theseus for abandoning the girl, caused a storm to break out that tore the white sails of Theseus’ ship, forcing the boy to hoist the black sails.
Before Theseus left, King Aegeus had asked his son to hoist the black sails only in case of defeat.
Aegeus, seeing a ship with black sails approaching, decides to take his own life by throwing himself into the sea which then took his name: the Aegean Sea .
