Theseus (Greek: Θησεύς) was a legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, with whom Aethra lay in one night. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The ancient Greeks proposed many different ideas about primordial deities in their mythology, which would later be largely adapted by the In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon ( Greek: Δωδεκάθεον Pan ( Greek, Genitive) is the Greek god of shepherds and flocks of mountain wilds hunting and rustic music paein means to pasture In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman The ancient Greeks had a large number of sea deities. The philosopher Plato once remarked that the Greek people were like frogs sitting around a pond -- their Chthonic (from Greek χθόνιος khthonios "of the earth" from khthōn "earth" pertaining to the Earth; earthy subterranean In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or The Twelve Labours of Hercules (Greek Δωδεκαθλος, dodekathlos) age a series of archaic episodes connected by a later continuous narrative concerning "Achilleus" redirects here For the emperor with this name see Achilleus (emperor. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. Jason ( Greek: Ἰάσων, Etruscan: Easun, Laz: Yason) was a late ancient Greek mythological In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece (Χρυσόμαλλον Δέρας is the fleece of the winged ram Chrysomallos (Χρυσόμαλλος Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas ( Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας) the Legendary founder In Greek mythology, Medusa ( Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa "guardian protectress" was a monstrous Chthonic female character gazing upon In Greek mythology, a gorgon ( Greek: γοργώ or γοργών transl Oedipus (pronounced /ˈɛdəpəs/ in American English or /ˈiːdəpəs/ in British English; Greek: Oidípous meaning "swollen-footed" The Seven against Thebes (Επτά επί Θήβας Epta epi Thēbas) is a mythic narrative whose classic statement is found in the play by Aeschylus (467 BCE In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( Greek:, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull. Buzyges redirects here For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Buzyges (butterfly. The Eleusinian Mysteries (Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια were initiation ceremonies held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone Mystery Religions, Sacred Mysteries or simply Mysteries, were "religious cults of the Graeco-Roman In Greek mythology, satyrs (Σάτυροι Satyroi) are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus – " Satyresses quot In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human Dragons play a role in Greek mythology. Ladon was a Dragon -like beast that was slain by Heracles in the garden of the Hesperides during the Twelve Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's In Greek mythology, Aethra or Aithra ( Ancient Greek: Αἴθρα the "bright sky" was a name applied to three individuals Mother For the Spartan hero Aegeus see Aegeus (hero. In Greek mythology, Aegeus (Αἰγεύς also Aigeus, Aegeas In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were identified with an archaic religious and social order. Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas ( Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας) the Legendary founder Cadmus, or Kadmos (Κάδμος in Greek mythology, was a Phoenician prince son of Agenor and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or As Heracles was the Dorian hero, Theseus was the Ionian founding hero, considered by Athenians as their own great reformer. The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were Geography Physical Ionia was of small extent not exceeding 90 geographical miles in length from north to south with a breadth varying from 40 to 55 miles but to this His name comes from the same root as θεσμός ("thesmos"), Greek for institution. He was responsible for the synoikismos ("dwelling together")—the political unification of Attica under Athens, represented in his journey of labours. Synoikismos (Greek συνοικισμός roughly means "dwelling together" in Greek and was created to oppose Hegemony. Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece Because he was the unifying king, Theseus built and occupied a palace on the fortress of the Acropolis that may have been similar to the palace excavated in Mycenae. Acropolis (Gr akros akron edge extremity + polis city pl acropoleis "Lion Gate" redirects here For other uses see Lions' Gate (disambiguation. Pausanias reports that after the synoikismos, Theseus established a cult of Aphrodite Pandemos ("Aphrodite of all the People") and Peitho on the southern slope of the Acropolis. Pausanias ( Greek:) was a Greek traveller and Geographer of the 2nd century CE, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Peitho is also the name of an Oceanid. See 118 Peitho for the Asteroid.

In The Frogs, Aristophanes credited him with inventing many everyday Athenian traditions. Frogs ( Ancient Greek: grc Βάτραχοι grc-Latn Bátrachoi) is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz in English ca If the theory of a Minoan hegemony^[1] is correct he may have been based on Athens' liberation from this political order rather than on an historical individual. Hegemony (hɨˈdʒɛməni (Amer /hɨˈɡɛməni/ (Brit (ἡγεμονία hēgemonía) is a concept that has been used to describe and explain the dominance of one social

In Plutarch's vita of Theseus, he makes use of varying accounts of the death of the Minotaur, Theseus' escape and the love of Ariadne for Theseus. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Plutarch's sources, not all of whose texts have survived independently, included Pherecydes (mid-sixth century), Demon (ca 300), Philochorus and Cleidemus (both fourth century). Philochorus, of Athens, Greek historian during the 3rd century BC ( d Cleidemus ( Kleidemos) was a Greek author of the mid-fourth century BCE who produced a lost book called Atthis (named for the mother of Erichthonius ^[2]

Early Years

Theseus and Aethra, by Laurent de La Hyre

Aegeus, one of the primordial kings of Athens, found a bride, Aethra who was the daughter of Troezen's king Pittheus, at Troezen, a small city southwest of Athens. Laurent de La Hyre ( February 27, 1606 - December 28, 1656) was a French Baroque painter, born in Paris Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's In Greek mythology, Pittheus was a son of Pelops and father of Aethra. Troezen (ˈtriːzən Τροιζήν modern Troizina or Trizina, Turkish: Damala is a small town (pop On their wedding night, Aethra waded through the sea to the island Sphairia that rests close to the coast and lay there with Poseidon (god of the sea, and of earthquakes). Poros (Πόρος is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, at a distance about 58 km (31 nautical miles south from Piraeus In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" By the understanding of sex in antiquity, the mix of semen gave Theseus a combination of divine as well as mortal characteristics in his nature; such double fatherhood, one father immortal, one mortal, was a familiar feature of Greek heroes. Physiological aspects Internal and external fertilization Depending on the Species, spermatozoa can fertilize "Cult Hero" redirects here For the Cure sideproject called Cult Hero see I'm a Cult Hero Hero cults were one of the most ^[3] When Aethra became pregnant, Aegeus decided to return to Athens. Pregnancy ( Latin graviditas) is the carrying of one or more offspring known as a Fetus or Embryo, inside the Uterus of a Female But before leaving, he buried his sandals and sword under a huge rock and told her that when their son grew up, he should move the rock, if he were hero enough, and take the weapons for himself as evidence of his royal parentage. Sandals are an open type of Footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps or thongs passing over the instep and around the ankle At Athens, Aegeus was joined by Medea, who had fled Corinth after slaughtering the children she had borne Jason, and had taken up a new consort in Aegeus. Medea (Μήδεια Mēdeia) in Greek mythology was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Jason ( Greek: Ἰάσων, Etruscan: Easun, Laz: Yason) was a late ancient Greek mythological Priestess and consort together represented the old order at Athens.

Thus Theseus was raised in the land of his mother. When Theseus grew up and became a brave young man, he moved the rock and recovered his father's arms. His mother then told him the truth about his father's identity and that he must take the weapons back to the king and claim his birthright. To get to Athens, Theseus could choose to go by sea (which was the safe way) or by land, following a dangerous path around the Saronic Gulf, where he would encounter a string of six entrances to the Underworld, each guarded by a chthonic enemy in the shapes of thieves and bandits. The Saronic Gulf ( Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος Saronikós kólpos) or Gulf of Aegina in Greece forms part of the The Greek Underworld is a general term used to describe the various realms of Greek mythology which were believed to lie beneath the earth or beyond the horizon Chthonic (from Greek χθόνιος khthonios "of the earth" from khthōn "earth" pertaining to the Earth; earthy subterranean Young, brave and ambitious, Theseus decided to go by the land route, and defeated a great many bandits along the way.

The deeds of Theseus, on an Attic red-figured kylix, ca. Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece Red-figure vase painting is one of the most important styles of figural Greek vase painting. A kylix (or cylix, plural kylixes or kylikes) is a type of Wine -drinking cup with a broad relatively shallow body raised on a 440-430 BCE (British Museum)

At the first site, which was Epidaurus, sacred to Apollo and the healer Aesculapius, Theseus turned the tables on the chthonic bandit, the "clubber" Periphetes, who beat his opponents into the Earth, and took from him the stout staff that often identifies Theseus in vase-paintings. The British Museum is a Museum of human history and culture in London. Epidaurus (Ἐπίδαυρος Epidavros) was a small city ( Polis) in ancient Greece, at the Saronic Gulf. Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine Periphetes is the name of two characters from Greek mythology.

At the Isthmian entrance to the Netherworld was a robber named Siris. In the study of Mythology and Religion, the underworld (gr κάτω κόσμος) is a generic term approximately equivalent to the lay term Afterlife In Greek mythology, Sinis or Siris was a bandit killed by Theseus. He would capture travellers, tie them between two pine trees which were bent down to the ground, and then let the trees go, tearing his victims apart. This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. Theseus killed him by his own method. He then raped Siris's daughter, Perigune, fathering the child Melanippus. In Greek mythology, Sinis or Siris was a bandit killed by Theseus. In Greek mythology, there were five people named Melanippus: Son of Agrius, killed by Heracles.

Detail of the kylix at right: Theseus and the Crommyonian Sow, with Phaea

In another deed north of the Isthmus, at a place called Crommyon, he killed an enormous pig, the Crommyonian sow, bred by an old crone named Phaea. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas Some versions name the sow herself as Phaea.

Near Megara an elderly robber named Sciron forced travellers along the narrow cliff-face pathway to wash his feet. Megara ( Greek:, "Big Houses" is an ancient city (pop In Greek mythology, Sciron was a robber killed by Theseus. He forced travelers to wash his feet While they knelt, he kicked them off the cliff behind them, where they were eaten by a sea monster (or, in some versions, a giant turtle). Turtles are Reptiles of the Order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the Crown group Chelonia) most of Theseus pushed him off the cliff.

Another of these enemies was Cercyon, King at the holy site of Eleusis, who challenged passers-by to a wrestling match and, when he had beaten them, killed them. Cercyon - Κερκύων (- ονος) ("boar's tail" was a figure in Greek mythology. Elefsina (Ελευσίνα Ancient/ Katharevousa: Eleusis is a town and municipality about 20 km NW of Athens. Theseus beat Cercyon at wrestling and then killed him instead. In interpretations of the story that follow the formulas of Frazer's The Golden Bough, Cercyon was a "year-King", who was required to do annual battle for his life, for the good of his kingdom, and was succeeded by the victor. The Golden Bough A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging comparative study of Mythology and Religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir Theseus overturned this archaic religious rite by refusing to be sacrificed.

The last bandit was Procrustes, who had a bed which he offered to passers-by in the plain of Eleusis. "Damastes" redirects here For the huntman spider see Damastes or Sparassidae. He then made them fit into it, either by stretching them or by cutting off their feet. Theseus turned the tables on Procrustes, although it is not said whether he cut Procrustes to size or stretched him to fit.

Each of these sites was a very sacred place already of great antiquity when the deeds of Theseus were first attested in painted ceramics, which predate the literary texts.

Medea and the Marathonian Bull/ Androegeus and the Pallantids

When Theseus arrived at Athens, he did not reveal his true identity immediately. Aegeus gave him hospitality but was suspicious of the young, powerful stranger's intentions. For the Spartan hero Aegeus see Aegeus (hero. In Greek mythology, Aegeus (Αἰγεύς also Aigeus, Aegeas Aegeus's wife Medea recognized Theseus immediately as Aegeus' son and worried that Theseus would be chosen as heir to Aegeus' kingdom instead of her son Medus. In Greek mythology, Medus was the son of Medea. His father is generally agreed to be Aegeas, although Hesiod states that Jason fathered She tried to arrange to have Theseus killed by asking him to capture the Marathonian Bull, an emblem of Cretan power. In Greek mythology, the Cretan Bull was either the bull that carried away Europa or the bull Pasiphaë fell in love with giving birth to the

On the way to Marathon, Theseus took shelter from a storm in the hut of an ancient woman named Hecale. Marathon ( Demotic Greek: Μαραθώνας Marathónas; Attic / Katharevousa:, Marathṓn) is an ancient Greek city-state In Greek mythology, Hecale was an old woman who offered succor to Theseus on his way to capture the Marathonian Bull. She swore to make a sacrifice to Zeus if Theseus was successful in capturing the bull. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Theseus did capture the bull, but when he returned to Hecale's hut, she was dead. In her honor Theseus gave her name to one of the demes of Attica, making its inhabitants in a sense her adopted children. Ancient Greece, a deme ( δῆμος) was a subdivision of Attica, the region of Greece surrounding Athens.

When Theseus returned victorious to Athens, where he sacrificed the Bull, Medea tried to poison him. At the last second, Aegeus recognized the sandals, shield, and sword, and knocked the poisoned wine cup from Theseus's hand. Thus father and son were reunited, and Medea was said to have been exiled.

In another version, Pasiphae, wife of King Minos of Crete, had several children before the minotaur. The eldest of these, Androgeus, set sail for Athens to take part in the Pan-Athenian games which were held there every five years. Being strong and skillful, he did very well, winning some events outright. He soon became a crowd favourite, much to the resentment of the Pallantids who were then living at the Royal Court.

The Pallantides were the nephews of King Aegeus, and were extremely cocky and self-opinionated. For years they were unwelcome there, fighting in the streets and lounging around the palace. Being jealous of Androgeus' success, they set an ambush one evening as he walked back to his lodgings after competing for the day. He fought bravely, but was heavily outnumbered. They killed him and left his body in the street.

When King Minos had heard of what befell his son, he ordered the whole of the Cretan fleet to set sail for Athens. In the morning, the whole town was surrounded. Minos asked Aegeus for his son's assassins, and if they were to be handed to him, the town would be spared. However, not knowing who they were, King Aegeus surrendered the whole town to Minos' mercy. His retribution was as follows: At the end of every Great Year (seven years), the seven most courageous youths and the seven most beautiful maidens were to board a boat. That boat would leave with them and set sail back to Crete. Suffice to say that they would never be seen again.

It was 21 years before Theseus appeared in the town. However, his reputation preceded him, having travelled along the notorious coastal road from Troezen and slain some of the most feared bandits there. It was not long before the Pallantides caught on to the fact that their days would be numbered if they did not get rid of Theseus. So they set a trap for him. 25 of them would march on the town from one side while the other 25 lay in wait on the other near a place called Gargettus in ambush. The plan was that once Theseus, Aegeus and the palace guards had been forced out the front, the other half would surprise them from behind. However, Theseus was not fooled. Informed of the plan by a herald named Leos, he crept out of the city at midnight and surprised the Pallantides. Ironically, it was their plan that was their undoing, for Theseus found it easier to destroy two bands of twenty-five than one band of fifty. So by the time the sun rose, all fifty were dead.

What Theseus didn't understand was, although he had killed the assassins of Androgeus, Minos still demanded tribute. So it was that Theseus volunteered to travel to Crete, and there, confront the Minotaur.

Theseus and the Minotaur on 6th-century black-figure pottery

Minotaur

King Minos of Crete had waged war with the Athenians and was successful. The black-figure pottery ( Greek, ' μελανόμορφαmelanomorpha) technique is a style of ancient Greek pottery painting in which the decoration appears In Greek mythology, Minos ( Ancient Greek:) was a mythical king of Crete son of Zeus and Europa. He then demanded that, at seven-year intervals, seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls were to be sent to Crete to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull monster that lived in the Labyrinth created by Daedalus. In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( Greek:, Mīnṓtauros) was a creature that was part man and part bull. In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth ( Greek λαβύρινθος labyrinthos) was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer This article is about the mythological character For other uses see Daedalus (disambiguation.

On the third occasion, Theseus volunteered to slay the monster. He took the place of one of the youths and set off with a black sail, promising to his father, Aegeus, that if successful he would return with a white sail. For the Spartan hero Aegeus see Aegeus (hero. In Greek mythology, Aegeus (Αἰγεύς also Aigeus, Aegeas King Minos' daughter Ariadne, out of love for Theseus, consulted Daedalus who told her to give Theseus a ball of string so he could find his way out. Ariadne, in Greek mythology (Latin Arianna French Arianne was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter She also gave him a sword to kill the beast. Theseus came upon the sleeping Minotaur and a tremendous fight occured. After losing his sword, Theseus beat the Minotaur with his fists, recovered his sword and slit the Minotaur's throat.

Theseus used the string to escape the Labyrinth and managed to escape with all of the children and Ariadne. On the return journey Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos. Naxos (in Greek, Νάξος) is a Greek island the largest island ( in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. The next day Ariadne realized that Theseus had only used her and she cursed him to forget to change the black sail to white. In other versions of the story, the god Dionysus appeared to Theseus and told him that he had already chosen Ariadne for his bride, and to abandon her on Naxos, a favorite island. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Ariadne, in Greek mythology (Latin Arianna French Arianne was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter In another version, Ariadne died from illness on the journey home. In Theseus' grief, he forgot to change the sails.

Seeing the black sail, Aegeus committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea (hence named Aegean). Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Theseus and the other Athenian youths returned safely.

Ship of Theseus

According to Plutarch, the ship Theseus used on his return to Athens was kept in the Athenian harbor as a memorial for several centuries. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c As the wood of the ship wore out or rotted it was replaced, until it was unclear how much of the original ship actually remained and giving rise to the philosophical question of whether it should be considered "the same" ship or not. Philosophical questions about the nature of identity in circumstances like this are sometimes referred to as the Ship of Theseus Paradox

Pirithous

Theseus and the Centaur by Antonio Canova

Theseus's best friend was Pirithous, prince of the Lapiths. Larrys Text, lecture notes Larry used to teach a class Feel free to make this page conform to our NPOV policy--remove first-person arguments attribute The Ship of Theseus, also known as Theseus's paradox, is a Paradox that raises the question of whether an object which has had all its component parts replaced In Greek mythology, Pirithous - Πειρίθοος (also transliterated as Perithoos, Peirithoos or Peirithous) was the King of the In Greek mythology, the Lapiths were a legendary people whose home was in Thessaly, in the valley of the Peneus and on the mountain Pelion. Pirithous had heard stories of Theseus's courage and strength in battle but wanted proof, so he rustled Theseus's herd of cattle and drove it from Marathon, and Theseus set out in pursuit. Marathon ( Demotic Greek: Μαραθώνας Marathónas; Attic / Katharevousa:, Marathṓn) is an ancient Greek city-state Pirithous took up his arms and the pair met to do battle, but were so impressed with each other they took an oath of friendship and joined the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. The Calydonian Boar is one of the monsters of Greek mythology that had to be overcome by heroes of the Olympian age In Iliad I, Nestor numbers Pirithous and Theseus "of heroic fame" among an earlier generation of heroes of his youth, "the strongest men that Earth has bred, the strongest men against the strongest enemies, a savage mountain-dwelling tribe whom they utterly destroyed. " No trace of such an oral tradition, which Homer's listeners would have recognized in Nestor's allusion, survived in literary epic. Later, Pirithous was preparing to marry Hippodamia. Hippodamia (also Hippodamea) was a daughter of King Oenomaus and wife of Pelops with whom her offspring were Thyestes, Atreus The centaurs were guests at the wedding feast, but got drunk and tried to abduct the women, including Hippodamia. In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human The Lapiths won the ensuing battle.

Theseus carries off the willing Helen, on an Attic red-figure amphora, ca. Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece An amphora (plural amphorae or amphoras) is a type of Ceramic Vase with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body 510 BCE

Theseus and Pirithous: the abduction of Helen and encounter with Hades

Theseus, a great abductor of women, and his bosom companion, Pirithous, since they were sons of Zeus and Poseidon, pledged themselves to marry daughters of Zeus. ^[4] Theseus, in an old tradition,^[5] chose Helen, and together they kidnapped her, intending to keep her until she was old enough to marry. This article is about the mythological figure Helen of Troy For other uses see Helen (disambiguation and Helen of Troy (disambiguation. Pirithous chose Persephone. In Greek mythology, Persephone ( Kore or Cora) was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility at the same time that she was the Queen of the Underworld They left Helen with Theseus's mother, Aethra at Aphidna, whence she was rescued by the Dioscuri. In Greek mythology, Aethra or Aithra ( Ancient Greek: Αἴθρα the "bright sky" was a name applied to three individuals Mother For the stars see Castor (star and Pollux (star, for the sculptural group in the Prado Museum, see Castor and Pollux (Prado, and for

On Pirithous' behalf they travelled to the underworld, domain of Persephone and her husband, Hades. In Greek mythology, Persephone ( Kore or Cora) was the embodiment of the Earth's fertility at the same time that she was the Queen of the Underworld Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient Hades pretended to offer them hospitality and laid out a feast, but as soon as the two visitors sat down, snakes coiled around their feet and held them fast. In some versions, the stone itself grew and attached itself to their thighs.

When Heracles came into Hades for his twelfth task, he freed Theseus but the earth shook when he attempted to liberate Pirithous, and Pirithous had to remain in Hades for eternity. In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or The Twelve Labours of Hercules (Greek Δωδεκαθλος, dodekathlos) age a series of archaic episodes connected by a later continuous narrative concerning In Greek mythology, Pirithous - Πειρίθοος (also transliterated as Perithoos, Peirithoos or Peirithous) was the King of the When Heracles had pulled Theseus from the chair where he was trapped, some of his thigh stuck to it; this explains the supposedly lean thighs of Athenians. When Theseus returned to Athens, he found that the Dioscuri had taken Helen and Aethra back to Sparta. For the stars see Castor (star and Pollux (star, for the sculptural group in the Prado Museum, see Castor and Pollux (Prado, and for The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη

Phaedra and Hippolytus

Phaedra, Theseus's first wife, bore Theseus two sons, Demophon and Acamas. This article is on the mythological figure For other meanings see Phaedra. In Greek mythology, Demophon referred to two different persons Demophon, a king of Athens, according to Pindar, son of Theseus This article is about Acamas in Greek mythology for the promontory in Cyprus see Akamas Acamas ( English translation: "unwearying" While these two were still in their infancy, Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus, Theseus's son by Antiope (Shakespeare confused the two names of these Amazons; the Queen Hippolyta and her sister Antiope, saying Hippolyta was the one who married him when in fact it was Antiope). In Greek mythology, Hippolytus ( Greek for "loose horse" was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte. According to some versions of the story, Hippolytus had scorned Aphrodite to become a devotee of Artemis, so Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him as punishment. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister He rejected her out of chastity. Alternatively, in Euripides' version, Hippolytus, Phaedra's nurse told Hippolytus of her mistress's love and he swore he would not reveal the nurse as his source of information. Hippolytus (Ιππόλυτος / Hippolytos) is an Ancient Greek Tragedy by Euripides, based on the myth of Hippolytus To ensure that she would die with dignity, Phaedra wrote to Theseus on a tablet claiming that Hippolytus had raped her before hanging herself. Theseus believed her and used one of the three wishes he had received from Poseidon against his son. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" The curse caused Hippolytus's horses to be frightened by a sea monster, usually a bull, and drag their rider to his death. Artemis would later tell Theseus the truth, promising to avenge her loyal follower on another follower of Aphrodite. In a third version, after Phaedra told Theseus that Hippolytus had raped her, Theseus killed his son himself, and Phaedra committed suicide out of guilt, for she had not intended for Hippolytus to die. In yet another version, Phaedra simply told Theseus Hippolytus had raped her and did not kill herself, and Dionysus sent a wild bull which terrified Hippolytus's horses. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman

A cult grew up around Hippolytus, associated with the cult of Aphrodite. Girls who were about to be married offered locks of their hair to him. The cult believed that Asclepius had resurrected Hippolytus and that he lived in a sacred forest near Aricia in Latium. Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine Latium was a region of ancient Italy, home to the original Latin people.

Other stories and his death

According to some sources, Theseus also was one of the Argonauts, although Apollonius of Rhodes states in the Argonautica that Theseus was still in the underworld at this time. For other uses of this term see Argonaut. In Greek mythology, the Argonauts ( Ancient Greek:) were a band of heroes The Argonautica ( Greek:) is a Greek Epic poem written by Apollonius Rhodius in the 3rd century BCE. With Phaedra, Theseus fathered Acamas, who was one of those who hid in the Trojan Horse during the Trojan War. This article is about Acamas in Greek mythology for the promontory in Cyprus see Akamas Acamas ( English translation: "unwearying" The Trojan Horse was part of the Trojan War, as told in Virgil 's Latin Epic poem The Aeneid. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her Theseus welcomed the wandering Oedipus and helped Adrastus to bury the Seven Against Thebes. Oedipus (pronounced /ˈɛdəpəs/ in American English or /ˈiːdəpəs/ in British English; Greek: Oidípous meaning "swollen-footed" This article is about Adrastus son of Talaus king of Argos For others with this name see Adrastus (disambiguation. The Seven against Thebes (Επτά επί Θήβας Epta epi Thēbas) is a mythic narrative whose classic statement is found in the play by Aeschylus (467 BCE Lycomedes of the island of Skyros threw Theseus off a cliff after he had lost popularity in Athens. Lycomedes (also known as Lycurgus) in Greek mythology, was the King of Scyros during the Trojan War. Skyros (Σκύρος is the southernmost Island of the Sporades, a Greek archipelago in the Aegean Sea. In 475 BC, in response to an oracle, Cimon of Athens, having conquered Skyros for the Athenians, identified as the remains of Theseus "a coffin of a great corpse with a bronze spear-head by its side and a sword. Events By place Greece Cimon leads an Athenian attack on the island of Skyros and expels the Cimon (in Greek, Κίμων &mdash Kimōn) (510 Athens - 450 BC Citium, Cyprus) was an Athenian " (Plutarch, Life of Cimon, quoted Burkert 1985, p. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) 206)

Books

Theseus with the head of Minotaurus

Mary Renault's The King Must Die (1958) is a dramatic retelling of the Theseus legend through the return from Crete to Athens. Mary Renault (pronounced Ren-olt ( 4 September 1905 – 13 December 1983) born Mary Challans, was an English Writer For the song by Elton John, see The King Must Die (song The King Must Die is a 1958 Bildungsroman and Historical While fictional, it is generally faithful to the spirit and flavor of the best-known variations of the original story. The sequel is The Bull from the Sea (1962), about the hero's later career. The Bull from the Sea is the sequel to Mary Renault 's The King Must Die. Theseus is also a prominent character as the Duke of Athens in William Shakespeare's plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Two Noble Kinsmen. William Shakespeare ( baptised A Midsummer Night's Dream is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, suggested by " The Knight's Tale " from The Two Noble Kinsmen is a Jacobean Comedy, first published in 1634 and attributed to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare Shakespeare draws on Geoffrey Chaucer's Knight's Tale and Giovanni Boccaccio's Teseida, whence the use of the anachronistic term "Duke": when Boccaccio and Chaucer were writing in the fourteenth century, there was an actual Duke of Athens. Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, Hippolyta also appears in both plays. In Greek mythology, Hippolyta or Hippolyte (Ἱππολύτη is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical Girdle she was given by her father

John Dempsey's "Ariadne's Brother: A Novel on the Fall of Bronze Age Crete" (Athens, Greece: Kalendis 1996, 679pp. , ISBN 960-219-062-0) tells the Minoan Cretan version of these events based on both archaeology and myth.

Steven Pressfield's Last of the Amazons is a fictional account of Theseus meeting and subsequent marriage to Antiope and the ensuing war. Steven Pressfield (born September 1943 in Port of Spain, Trinidad) is an American novelist and author of screenplays principally of Military Theseus also appears as a major character in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Knight's Tale

Jorge Luis Borges also presents an interesting variation of the myth, from the Asterion's point-of-view, in a short story, "La Casa de Asterion" ("The House of Asterion"), which depends for its full effect on the reader's not knowing the identity of the narrator. Geoffrey Chaucer (c 1343 – 25 October 1400? was an English author poet Philosopher, bureaucrat, courtier and Diplomat. "The Knight's Tale" is the first tale from Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Canterbury Tales. "The House of Asterion" (original Spanish title "La casa de Asterión") a short story by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges

The Cretan Chronicles are an alternative, interactive version of the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur. Cretan Chronicles is a trilogy of single-player Role-playing fantasy Gamebooks written by John Butterfield David Honigmann and Philip Parker and illustrated by Dan The reader controls Theseus's brother Altheus, who learns from Hermes Theseus was killed by the Minotaur and takes up his brother's quest to slay the beast. Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and

Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun contains a retelling of the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, about a student who makes a son from dreams and sends him off to fight an ogre who, unlike the minotaur, has a head like a castle and a body like a ship. Gene Wolfe (born May 7, 1931, New York New York) is an American Science fiction and Fantasy writer In order to save a young maiden, the young man of dreams defeats the ogre by blinding him with burning tar and then returns to the island where the student lives. Sadly the student sees the sails, blackened by the burning tar, and, thinking his created son is dead, throws himself from his bed, for "no man lives long when his dreams are not here. "

Notes

References

Primary sources

• Plutarch, Theseus
• Apollodorus, Bibliotheca

Secondary sources

• Burkert, Walter, Greek Religion 1985
• Kerenyi, Karl, The Heroes of the Greeks 1959
• Ruck, Carl A. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c The Bibliotheca (in English: Library) in three books provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic Legends Walter Burkert (born Neuendettelsau, Bavaria, February 2, 1931) a scholar of Greek mythology and cult, is an emeritus One of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, Károly (Carl Karl Kerényi ( January 19, 1897 &ndash April 14 1973 P. and Danny Staples, The World of Classical Myth, ch. IX "Theseus: making the new Athens 1994, pp. 203-222.

External links

• A bronze sculpture of Theseus and Minotaur by Antone Louis Barye