The myth of Theseus
Aegean King of Athens
Etra: Aegean wife and daughter of Pete, king of Corinth
Theseus: Son of Aegeus and Aethra, killed the Minotaur and later married Ariadne and Phaedra daughters of King Minos with the latter had a son, Hippolytus.
Minos: King of Crete adoptive father of Minotaur
Pasiphae: wife of Minos and mother of Minotaur.
Bull of Poseidon: the bull sent by Poseidon to sacrifice Minos it as an offering to him. To disobey and instead of the bull sacrifice a smaller and evil Poseidon was angry and made Pasiphae fall in love with a bull with whom she had a son, the Minotaur.
Minotauro: I had a bull's head and body of a man fed on human flesh and lived in a palace, the labyrinth that Daedalus Minos ordered the construction to have it locked there.
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That night Aegean, the old king of Athens, was so sad and worried that his son Theseus said,
"How bad you look like, Are you grieving father ... any regrets?
- Alas! Tomorrow is the cursed day when, as every year, I have to send seven girls and seven boys of our city by King Minos of Crete. The bastards are doomed ...
- Doomed? What crime have committed to have to die?
- Die! If it were only that: the Minotaur devour!
Theseus shivered. Had long been outside Greece and had returned to their homeland, but had heard of the Minotaur. It was said that this monster with the body of man and bull's head, eating human flesh.
- Father, do not let such an outrage! Why do you allow to perpetuate this odious practice?
"I have no choice," sighed Aegean. Look, son, once lost a war against the king of Crete. Since then I have to pay a tax every year, fourteen young Athenians, the monster devours ...
With all the ardor of his youth, Theseus cried
- In that case, lets go to the island! Accompany victims and I will face the Minotaur, father. I conquer and I will deliver this horrible debt!
At these words the old man shuddered and shook Aegean your child in his arms
- Never! Frighten me miss.
Years ago, the king had been about to poison Theseus inadvertently due to a stratagem of Medea, his second wife, who hated her stepson.
- No, not consent to go! They also say that the Minotaur is invincible. He lives hidden in a strange palace called Labyrinth! It has so many passages, and is so intricate that they that enter do not know how to get out. And ends up with the monster that devours. Theseus was so stubborn and fearless. He insisted, became angry, and then turned to the pampering and persecution until the old King Aegeus, his heart torn, he gave.
The next morning, Theseus went with his father to Piraeus, the port of Athens. They were accompanied by young people who would undertake his final voyage. The citizens watched the procession, some with tears in their eyes, others shaking his fist to the emissaries of King Minos flanking the menacing sequence. At length, the group came to the dock where it was docked a black galley. The king told Theseus:
"They are a sign of mourning. Oh, my son ... if you return victorious, do not forget to change them by white candles, so you know, even before you get to port, you're alive.
Theseus promised. Then he hugged his father and embarked with the rest of the Athenians.
One night during the voyage, Neptune, the god of the sea, Theseus appeared in a dream and said smiling:
"My good Theseus: you are so brave as a god. No rare thing, since you are so my son how Aegean ...
Then Theseus learned of the fabulous story of his birth.
"When you wake up, drop water," said Neptune. You'll find a gold ring that Minos lost long ago.
Theseus awoke. It was daylight and the distance we sighted the islands of Crete.
Then, before the astonished gaze of his companions, Theseus jumped into the water. At the bottom he saw a jewel that shone among the shells, and took her, her heart pounding.
So everything that Neptune had said was true: he was a demigod!
This discovery led to redouble their courage and their value.
When the ship docked at the port of Knossos, the crowd saw Theseus the king surrounded by his entourage and was to appear before him:
"Hail, mighty Minos. I am Theseus, son of Aegeus.
"I hope you did not come so far to implore my clemency," said King, while telling carefully to fourteen young Athenians.
-No. The only thing I ask is that I separated from my companions.
Accompanying the king let out a murmur. This looked suspiciously at the newcomer. He acknowledged the gold ring on her finger Theseus and asked what surprised worth prodigy son opened the Aegean to find the jewel. Then he growled in a tone of distrust:
- So we intend to confront the Minotaur! In that case, you have to do only with their hands: let the weapons here.
Among the entourage of the king was on the Ariadne, one of his daughters. Impressed by the boldness of the prince, he thought with horror that soon pay with his life. Theseus had been looking a long time to Ariadne. Since then he had noticed her beauty, but was especially intrigued because I was knitting.
"What a most unusual place to knit - Theseus was said to herself.
Yes, Ariadne's like knitting because it could be devoted to meditation. And looking at jar of Theseus, he was going crazy idea ...
"Come to eat and relax - King Minos ordered. Tomorrow will lead you to the Labyrinth.
Theseus awoke with a start: someone had just entered the room where I slept! He scanned the darkness, and regretted that he had been stripped of his sword. A white shape stood out from the shadows and a relative snap needles revealed the identity of the visit.
"Never fear. It's me, Ariane.
The king's daughter approached the bed and sat down. He took the young man's hand and begged him
- Oh, Theseus, do not go with your mates! If you enter the labyrinth, you can not leave it anymore. I do not want to die ...
The tremors of Ariadne Theseus revealed the nature of the feelings that were pushed to go see him that night. Very disturbed murmured
"I do, Ariadna. I have to defeat the Minotaur.
"It's a monster. I hate. But it's my brother ...
- How? What?
"Oh, Theseus, let me tell you a very unique story ... Long before I was born, my father, King Minos, unwisely, making fun of Neptune, sacrificing a bull poor, weak and ill, in place of the great bull that he had sent. Soon, my father married the beautiful Pasiphae, who is my mother. But Neptune was plotting revenge. In memory of the old offense that he had actually managed to lose his head and Pasiphae fall in love with a bull. The unfortunate sent even build him a cow-shaped shell, inside of which went to join the animal which had fallen in love. You can imagine the rest, my mother gave birth to the Minotaur. My father could not bring herself to kill him, but tried to hide forever from the eyes of the world. He sent the best of its architects, Daedalus, who designed the labyrinth. But do not think I'm part of the Minotaur! That man-eater deserves death a thousand times!
"In that case, I will kill you.
"Even if you got it, you would not be able to leave the Labyrinth.
- Well, we're going have to do!
A long silence covered the dark.
Suddenly, the young girl came over and said:
"Theseus, if you provide the way out of the Labyrinth," take me with you?
The hero is not answered. Since then, Ariane was very attractive, and was the daughter of the king. But he had reached that island, not for a wife but to free his country from a load.
"I know the customs of the Minotaur," I know she persisted and what are the weaknesses and how you can overcome them. But that victory has a price: you take me and make me your wife!
"Okay. I accept that.
A surprised that Theseus Ariadne accepted immediately. Would love with her or just willing to accept a deal? What did it!
Thousand secrets entrusted to the next day he would beat his brother. And the sound of her voice mingled with the incessant clicking of the needles: Ariadne had not left even a moment of knitting.
Opposite the entrance of the Labyrinth, Minos ordered the Athenians:
- Come, now is the time ...!
While fourteen young, completely terrified, were arriving one by one in the strange building, Ariane whispered to his protege:
"Theseus, take this thread and, for heaven's sake, do not miss it! It will be what unites us.
He was holding the ball of the work continually weaving. The hero took what she was: a thin thread, almost invisible. Although King Minos did not guess what split, where he realized that the boy and his daughter was hard for them separated.
- What, Theseus? Are you afraid to enter? Without saying a word, the hero went into the corridor and then joined his companions, who, at a crossroads, not knowing which way to turn.
- Who cares! Let the right.
They came to a dead end, turned and took another road, which led them to another fork that left several passages.
"Let's go by the center. And we are not separate.
Soon came the open air had left the walls of the Maze and now were faced with very thick bushes.
- Who knows? "Muttered one of the Athenians, as fate gives us the opportunity to not run into the Minotaur ... but with the output.
Theseus knew that this was unfortunately impossible: Daedalus had designed the building so that it always came to the center of it.
And that's exactly what happened. At night when his teammates began to complain of fatigue and hunger, Theseus ordered them suddenly:
- Stop! Hear. Do not you smell something funny ...?
The walls echoed back at them a roaring impatient and the air was a heavy smell of carrion.
"I muttered Theseus arrived. We are near the cave of the monster! Wait for me and, above all, do not move from here!
He went alone, hold the thread of Ariadne.
Suddenly came to a circular plaza like a bullring there was the more hideous monster that never could have imagined: it was a giant bull's head and muscular arms and legs like the trunks of oak. When they saw Theseus, the Minotaur delivered a ferocious roar of greedy satisfaction, opening the slavering jaws. He lowered his head and hairy bovine, pointing to its prey with its sharp horns. Then he pounced on his victim by striking the sand with the hoofs of his feet.
The floor was covered with bones. Theseus took the largest and swung. When the monster was about to threading with their antlers stepped beside him in the nose struck a resounding blow can knock down an ox ... But not as violent as to kill a Minotaur!
The monster roared in pain. Without giving him time to recover, Theseus took all their forces from the horns and jumped on his hairy back. Perched upon him, pressed his legs like pliers and tried to strangle him. Unable to breathe the monster was debated furiously. I could not gore his opponent it was firmly stuck to it. Kicked, fell, rolled on the floor. Although he got sand in the eyes and ears, Theseus, Ariadne's advice, do not let go of its prey.
Gradually, the Minotaur was losing strength and gave a terrible roar out of anger she trembled and breathed his last. Theseus then moved away from that huge inert mass. His first impulse was to go and recover the thread of Ariadne.
The unusual and protracted silence had attended by his peers.
- Who would have thought! You have overcome the Minotaur! We are saved!
Theseus asked him to help pull out the bull horns.
"So Minos know that he can not claim any tax - explained.
- What is not going to serve? We have indeed saved his life but we await a slow death because we will never be able to get out of here.
"Sure," said Theseus the thread showing. Look!
They walked quickly. Thanks to the thread could go in the opposite direction along the tortuous path that had led to the Minotaur. Theseus eke out his impatience. Beneficent god He wondered what inspired Ariadne opened this idea. After a while the thread was tense from the other end someone pulled impatiently as the Theseus.
After a few hours left outdoors. The hero fell to the ground exhausted, near the entrance, the horns of the Minotaur bloody.
- Theseus ... at last! You got it!
Mad love and joy, Ariadne ran over him, and they merged into a hug. Minos's daughter tenderly watched the huge mess that Theseus had ball in his hands and reproached him with a smile
"We have to see, and you could have a little Winding ...
It began to dawn. Theseus and his companions, together with Ariadne, stealthily crossed the streets of Knossos and arrived at the port.
-Holed the hull of the ships all Cretans - Theseus ordered them.
- Why? - Ariadne asked in surprise.
- Do you think your father is going to be impassive? What is going to allow his daughter to abscond with the son who killed his wife?
"Right," she admitted. Be seen as punishment imposed since the Labyrinth Daedalus has not served to protect the Minotaur as my father wanted!
When the sun dawned, the galley of Theseus sailed from the port and sailed to Greece ...
During the return journey Theseus had a strange dream this time was another god Bacchus, who appeared to him and said:
"You must abandon Ariadne on an island, not your wife for her most glorious I have projects.
"But we've promised ..." muttered Theseus.
"I know. But you must obey, otherwise you will expose the wrath of the gods.
When Theseus awoke still had doubts. But the next day the gallery was faced with a storm so violent that the hero saw in her a divine warning.
He cried out to watch:
- Must be done at once! Land Can not you see yonder?
- Yes! Isla sight ... It must be Naxos. They landed on the island in view of the elements to calm down.
The storm subsided during the night. At dawn while Ariadne was lying still on the sand. Theseus gathered his men and ordered them to be made immediately to sea. Without the girl.
- Have no choice, "she added reproachfully to see portrayed in the faces of his companions. The gods do not act without reason. And Bacchus had good reasons for Theseus abandoned Ariadne: captivated by her beauty was in love with her and had decided that they would have four children and that she would sit beside him on Olympus. As a sign of divine covenant, whether he planned to give her a tiara, which is the origin of one of the most beautiful constellations ...
Of course Theseus was unaware of the purposes of that love and jealous god. He felt remorse while sailing towards Athens. He was so busy that he forgot what he had told his father before go ...
Posted at the top of the lighthouse that stood at the mouth of the Pyrenees, the lookout cried, shielding his eyes with his hands like a visor:
- Ship in sight! Yes ... it is the royal galley returning from Crete. Quick, go and tell the king!
Less than two miles between Athens and its port. Hopeful and anxious, the old king Aegean came running to the docks.
- And the candles? "Asked looking up towards the lookout. Can you see the candles and tell me what color?
- Oh, my lord, are black!
The old man did not want to know more Aegean. Racked with pain, jumped into the water and drowned.
When the galley docked, had just pick up the body of the old Aegean on the beach. Theseus was running toward him, then realized what had happened and cursed himself for being careless.
- Father, no, no ... I'm alive! Back to life, for charity!
Too late: Aegean was dead. Theseus descended into a pain that made him forget his recent victory over the monster. The hero bitterly thought I had lost husbands and fathers.
- Theseus, now you're the king, "proclaimed the Athenians fell down before him.
The new sovereign remained a moment absorbed in the body of the Aegean and then solemnly decreed:
- From now on this sea bear the name of my beloved father!
And so, from the Monastery day since returned the winner of the Minotaur of Crete, the sea around Greece is called the Aegean Sea.
Meanwhile, Ariadne had awakened from the deserted island. Distinguished dawn and the dark sails of the galley, he came. Unable to believe his eyes, stammered:
- Theseus! Is it possible that leave me?
He followed the boat with his eyes until he disappeared into the horizon and then realized that never again see Theseus. Alone in the beach of Naxos, he gave vent to his pain and it was great while lamenting the ingratitude of men.
Later, Ariadna found in the sand your unfinished business.
He picked up the needles and started knitting, waiting to be fulfilled the prodigious destiny she still did not know.
There was knitting, and, still mourn.
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