Theseus And The Minotaur
Theseus was the son of Aegeus, King of Athens, who had married Aethra, daughter of Pittheus. Aegeus never saw his son as a child, for even before Theseus was born in Troezen, he was forced to return to Athens. But before he left Troezen he left a sword and a pair of sandals under a great rock.
"If the child is a boy, do not tell him who his father is until he can lift this rock. When that time comes, send him to me in Athens for I shall need his help," Aegeus said to Aethra.
So Theseus was born, and grew to be a strong and brave man. He learnt wisdom from his mother, and various skills from his grandfather Pittheus. He also learnt some fighting skills from Heracles himself, during the latter's visit to Troezen. It was not until he was eighteen that Theseus was able to lift the rock and retrieved the sword with the sandals. When he did, Aethra told him who his father was, and he eagerly set out for Athens. It was a long journey, and along the way Theseus met and slain many evil-doers.
When he reached Athens, immediately he entered the palace of his father King Aegeus. He did not say who he was, nor show the sword and the sandals. And to seek an audience with the king, Aegues' wife in Athens commanded Theseus to bring him the Cretan Bull. This was the same bull Heracles once brought from Crete, which Eurystheus had allowed it to escape into Attica. Like Heracles, Theseus had no difficulty in overcoming the bull, and later dragged it back to Athens by the horns. That evening, when Aegeus himself learnt what happened, his wife in Athens fled, disgraced of what she had done. Soon enemies of Aegeus gathered themselves outside Athens, and Theseus led an army out of the city, defeating the invaders utterly.
But when he returned to the city, he found the city in mourning. Aegeus told him that an envoy from Crete had just arrived, to carry off seven youths and seven maidens to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, as part of a treaty with King Minos. The Minotaur was a huge man with the head of a bull, and lived in a labyrinth where no one had ever returned. When Theseus heard this, he exclaimed, "I will go myself as one of these youths, and slay this Minotaur!"
In vain Aegeus begged him not to be so foolish, but after much persuasion, he said, "Then promise me, that if you return victorious you will hoist white sails on your ship, and if you do not, I will know by the black sails on the Cretan ship."
Promising this, Theseus then joined as one of the seven youths, bound for Crete. In the capital Cnossus, where Minos ruled, the victims were forced to take part in boxing and racing contests, before the king and his court. Theseus defeated his competitors, and while he stood at his winning post, Princess Ariadne, daughter of Minos, fell in love with him.
She decided to help him, so that night she visited Theseus, "Ask to go first into the labyrinth tomorrow, and take this ball of thread with you. Fasten one end to the door when it was closed behind you, unrolling it as you go, so you may find your way back. I will be at the door if you are successful, and you must take me with you in your escape, as I will not be safe here when it is known that I helped you."
Theseus did exactly as he was told the next day, and entered the labyrinth with the thread in his hand. He walked through passage after passage, winding left and right, leading up and down. In the end he came to a great chamber, where the Minotaur was waiting for him. When it saw Theseus, it rushed upon him, and as it near, Theseus smote the creature with his fist, then leapt aside. The Minotaur came again, and Theseus smote it again. Again and again he did this, until the creature began to weaken. Then Theseus seized it by its horns and forced its head back, until its neck broke. The Minotaur was dead.
After a short rest, Theseus returned to the exit of the labyrinth, where Ariadne was waiting. Quickly she led him the and other victims to a ship, cut the cables and sailed away. On the way back to Athens, they stopped at a nearby island of Naxos, where they intended to rest. Ariadne wandered into the woods, where Dionysus saw her. He fell in love with her, and cast her a magic sleep, so when she woke, remembered nothing about Theseus, and willingly became the bride of Dionysus.
Theseus searched the island for her, but at last sailed away, mourning the princess who had saved him. And he was so depressed that he forgot to change the ship's sails from black to white, as he had promised his father. So when he drew near Athens, Aegeus, who was watching from a high cliff, saw the black sails and believed that his son was dead. He cast himself down the cliff, and died.
Theseus became king of Athens, and as time passed, Minos was killed by his one of his followers and his son was proclaimed the new king of Crete. The new king made peace with Theseus, and also sent him his sister Phaedra in marriage. So despite his loss of Ariadne, Theseus still married a daughter of Minos.
Then he ruled Athens for some time, and in time he grew weary of his peaceful life and longed for further adventures. Thus he joined Prince Jason, who was gathering a band of heroes, in the quest of the Golden Fleece.