Theseus

The Hero of the Labyrinth

Theseus was the legendary son of Aegeus, king of Athens, although some traditions also gave him the god Poseidon as a father. He grew up away from Athens. When he was old enough, he lifted a heavy rock and found a sword and sandals that Aegeus had hidden beneath it as proof of his identity.

Instead of taking the safer sea route to Athens, Theseus travelled by land. Along the road he defeated a series of dangerous criminals and monsters. These adventures made him famous before he even reached his father's city.

His greatest adventure began when Athens had to send young people to Crete as victims for the Minotaur. Theseus volunteered to go and promised to kill the creature. King Minos's daughter Ariadne helped him by giving him a ball of thread. Theseus tied one end at the entrance to the Labyrinth, found the Minotaur, defeated it and followed the thread back to safety.

The return journey became tragic. Theseus had promised his father that he would raise white sails if he survived, but he forgot and left the ship's dark sails flying. Aegeus saw them, believed his son was dead and threw himself into the sea. Theseus became king of Athens. Later stories gave him many more adventures, but also serious mistakes. Like many Greek heroes, he was admired for courage without being presented as perfect.

Athenians later treated Theseus as one of their city's great founding heroes. Stories credited him with bringing the communities of Attica together and establishing important festivals. He also became a friend of the hero Pirithous and joined several adventures outside Athens. Not all ended well. One disastrous attempt to enter the Underworld left Theseus trapped until Heracles rescued him. His treatment of Ariadne also varies between traditions and is difficult to make heroic. That mixture matters. Theseus could represent Athens at its bravest while his myths still warned that confidence, ambition and fame could push even a celebrated hero into terrible decisions.

⬅   Back