Theseus and the Labyrinth of Crete

Long ago, King Minos of Crete waged war on Athens after his son Androgeos was murdered there. Victorious, Minos demanded a terrible tribute: every nine years, Athens must send seven young men and seven young women to Crete, where they would be cast into the Labyrinth — an enormous maze designed by the architect Daedalus — to be devoured by the Minotaur, a fearsome creature that was half man and half bull.

When the third tribute was due, Theseus, the young and courageous son of King Aegeus of Athens, volunteered to be one of the fourteen. He swore to his father that he would slay the Minotaur and end the blood tribute forever. Aegeus, filled with dread, made his son promise that if he survived, he would change his ship's black sails to white as a signal of victory.

In Crete, King Minos's daughter Ariadne saw Theseus among the captives and fell deeply in love. She went secretly to Daedalus, who told her the only way to navigate the Labyrinth was with a thread. Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread and instructed him to tie one end to the entrance and unwind it as he walked. By following the thread back, he could find his way out.

Theseus and the other Athenians were cast into the Labyrinth. In the darkness, Theseus unwound the thread as he walked deeper and deeper into the twisting passages. At last, in the deepest chamber, he found the Minotaur sleeping. A terrible battle ensued — the Minotaur was immensely strong, but Theseus, trained by the finest warriors, used his agility and a sword hidden in his tunic to strike the beast down. He followed Ariadne's thread back to the entrance, freed the other Athenians, and fled with Ariadne on his ship.

But triumph turned to tragedy. They stopped at the island of Naxos, where Theseus abandoned Ariadne while she slept — whether by choice or by divine command varies in the telling. The god Dionysus found her there and made her his immortal bride. In his grief and distraction over Ariadne, Theseus forgot to change his sails from black to white. King Aegeus, watching from the cliffs of Athens, saw the black sails approaching and, believing his son dead, threw himself into the sea, which was thereafter called the Aegean. Theseus became king of Athens and ruled wisely, creating democracy and uniting the scattered communities of Attica.