Probably, almost every person has once read the Myths of Ancient Greece and become familiar with them. This could be in school, high school, college, or on your own if you are interested in history. Now, according to this book, the Minotaur is a monster that had a human body and a bull’s head.
A special Palace was built for the Minotaur in which he lived. But this Palace was not ordinary, but with intricate labyrinths. People who came to this monster sometimes could not get out of there. They remained unfound. In the very central part of the Palace was the lair of the Minotaur, where he lived and slept...
Life story of the Minotaur
In Athens, almost every resident was afraid of the Minotaur, so they tried to appease him. According to legend and history, every nine-year period seven young men and women were sent to the Minotaur. Seven has always been a magic number.
It was important for the Minotaur that the number of “victims” be exactly seven. And so, when Theseus received the lot that he would be the next victim, he decided to rid the world of the monster. Theseus tried to prevent, to break this tradition, so that people would stop fearing the Minotaur and stop sacrificing themselves to him.
Ariadne, who fell in love with Theseus (they were, as they say now, a couple), gave her lover a ball of thread. Everyone probably remembers the magical Thread of Ariadne.
So, according to legend, the free end of the thread had to be tied to the door at the entrance to the labyrinth, and the ball would then lead to the center of the Palace, where the Minotaur lives. Back, the hero had to get out of the Palace precisely with the help of this Thread of Ariadne, winding the thread back into a ball.
How it was
Theseus gladly used the Thread; he believed in its magic. He did everything as his beloved told him. He tied one end of the thread to the door at the exit from the Palace, and the other end led him to the Minotaur himself, to the monster’s lair.
The hero was not at a loss, killed the “monster”, and was lucky enough to get out of the Palace safely. Until then, no one had been able to do this. Thus, Theseus’ feat became national pride.
People were grateful to him that he saved them from obvious death. After all, every nine years, fourteen innocent people died. Boys and girls who had not yet known or tasted the joy of life, who had not tasted it, were forced to carry themselves to the “altar of death” almost voluntarily. Thanks to the magical Thread, Theseus got out of the Palace; no one else entered there.
What they say about this myth now
This myth is one of the most popular Myths of Ancient Greece. Ariadne's Thread and Theseus's Feat went down in history. Whether this really happened or is just a fiction, no one can say. But even now the Palace has been preserved, its ruins where, according to legend, the Minotaur lived. This Palace is now considered a monument; it is four thousand years old! Thousands of tourists come to the island of Crete every year to admire the famous place.
Many sculptors and artists, including modern ones, create their immortal creations about the feat of Theseus, who lived in those days, his beloved Ariadne and, of course, the monster Minotaur. Modern people are very interested in history, so this myth will exist for many more millennia.
Not only sculptors, but also artists who paint him on their canvases dedicate their creations to the Minotaur. Theseus, the Minotaur, Ariadne are well remembered; Much has been written about this feat.
Their images are painted on vases and themed sets. Such things are not cheap, as they are in demand. A person who has a “piece of Ancient Greece” in his collection can consider himself a true connoisseur of those times.
The Minotaur is a monster from Crete, the main opponent of Theseus. Described as a man with a bull's head, he lived in an intricate labyrinth. Killed by Theseus.
In the article:
The Legend of the Origin of the Minotaur
Greek legends described him as a monster of great stature, with the body of an athlete and the head of a bull. His mother was Pasiphae (not to be confused with Pasithea), daughter of the sun god Helios and queen of Crete, wife of Minos. Minos ascended the throne only by defeating his brother with the blessing of the gods. In order for Minos to confirm his noble intentions and become a pious king, Poseidon sent him a magnificent bull and ordered him to sacrifice the animal.
Minos felt sorry for killing such a wonderful creature, and he let the bull go to graze with the herd, and instead killed another, ordinary one. Poseidon became angry and instilled in Pasiphae an unnatural attraction to the bull. According to some sources, Poseidon himself (in some myths - Zeus) turned into a bull to copulate with the queen. To achieve this, the Athenian engineer Daedalus came up with a clever design in the form of a bronze cow attractive to a bull. It was hollow from the inside, and Pasiphae was in it.
After the due date, the queen gave birth to a monster. The Minotaur, by order of Minos, was hidden in the labyrinth of Daedalus - Knossos. Criminals and Athenian boys and girls served as food for the Minotaur - they were brought once every nine years, seven males and seven females. In some myths, seven children were sacrificed to the Minotaur.
Pausanias wrote that the Minotaur's real name was Asterium, that is, “starry”. Antique vases with images of this beast almost always contain images of stars or eyes. Mycenaean texts also contain references to a certain mistress of the labyrinth, who could probably be Ariadne.
Minotaur and Theseus
Diodorus writes that Theseus sailed in the second party, and Plutarch claimed that in the third. But what is known for sure is that the hero became one of the victims of the Minotaur after he killed him. According to some sources, to reduce the resistance of prisoners, they were deprived of their sight. According to others, it was impossible to leave the intricate labyrinth, and those who escaped death at the hands of the Minotaur simply died without water and food.
Theseus was among the fourteen victims. Along with the others, he was thrown into the labyrinth, where he fought the Minotaur and killed him with his bare hands. Sometimes it is indicated that the hero had a sword with him.
Ariadne (half-sister of the Minotaur, but daughter of Minos) She gave him a ball of thread with her, which Theseus unwound all the way. As a result, he and the other prisoners left the labyrinth unharmed. The throne at Amykla contains an image of the captive Minotaur, whom Theseus led on a rope.
Rationalistic version of the legend of the Minotaur
Philochor, and after it Eusebius in their works they described a different version of the origin of the Minotaur, in which the bull-headed monster acts as an allegory. According to legend, the Minotaur was a man, his name was Taurus. He taught the young king of Crete, Minos, and became famous for his cruelty. At that time, Athens was under the rule of Crete and paid tribute by people. Minos decided to establish a competition in which his teacher fought with the Athenian youths sent. Taurus defeated nine, but Theseus, the son of the Athenian king, defeated him. In honor of the victory, Athens was exempted from paying tribute.
The labyrinth at Knossos and the myth of the Minotaur
Also the Labyrinth of Daedalus, according to Plutarch, was a very ordinary prison. Simple prisoners were housed within its walls, and in very tolerable conditions. Minos held annual competitions in honor of Androgeus, his son, who was killed by the Athenians. The winner received boys and girls sent from Athens as slaves. Before that they were kept in the Labyrinth. Taurus enjoyed the great confidence of Minos and was the first winner of the competition. Taurus was known as a rude and cruel master, merciless with his slaves. Aristotle's "Government of Bottia" clearly expresses the author’s idea that it was simply unprofitable to kill the sent people - young people were highly valued on the slave market. They most likely remained slaves in Crete until the end of their days.
Historian Daemon believed that Taurus was a commander whose fleet entered into battle with Theseus’s fleet in the harbor and was defeated. Taurus died in this battle. Plutarch wrote that Taurus was a general killed in the war between Crete and Athens. The later story of the Minotaur is the fruit of human invention and myth-making.
Other hypotheses and the cult of bulls
Minotaur could be borrowed Phoenician god under the name . Moloch was depicted as a horned man, and children were sacrificed to him. The famous expression “gehenna of fire” comes from the place where human sacrifices were made to Molech - children were “carried through the fire,” that is, burned alive. The cult of Moloch could well have been located in Crete. The death of the Minotaur marked the end of this cult.
A number of modern historians believe the story of the Minotaur is an allegorical story about the clash of Indo-Europeans with the cultures of the autochthonous “peoples of the sea.” These "Sea Peoples" of unknown origin revered bulls. The clash was won by the Indo-Europeans, who were more civilized in the modern sense. Also, the appearance of the Minotaur makes one think of the beast-headed Egyptian gods.
Theseus, a novel by Mary Renault, contains a description of ritual sacrifices. They were called “bull belts” - a kind of proto-bullfight. Scenes with bull belts are often found on frescoes of Cretan times. Artistic materials of the Minoan era contain images of taurocatapsia - ritual jumping over a bull. The cult of the bull was very strong in Crete, and such rituals formed a significant part of it.
Similar themes can be traced back to the Bronze Age, from where it migrated to the Hittite kingdom, Syria, Bactria and the Indus Valley. Bullfighting and bull worship are common in Mediterranean cultures. Today, this phenomenon survives as Spanish bullfighting.
The executioner's double-edged ax - “labrys”, was an integral part of the bull cult. Probably “labyrinth” is a modified version of “labrys”. Pre-Hellenic religions often practiced sacred bullfights, and Cretan demonology contains many people with bull heads. The Minotaur living at the heart of the labyrinth was most likely a cruel legend, an echo of the even more terrifying rituals of Crete. The most ancient forms of the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur say that the hero defeated the monster with a double-edged axe.
In Greek legends, the Minotaur was a terrible monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull. This creature lived in a huge palace with many intricate corridors - the Labyrinth, on the island of Crete. Crete was ruled by King Minos. He was rich and powerful, but his life was darkened by terrible grief - the son of Minos, Androgeus, was killed by the Athenians. For this, Minos demanded an ominous tribute from the inhabitants of Athens. Every nine years they had to send seven boys and seven girls to Crete. There they were locked in the Labyrinth, and the cruel Minotaur dealt with them.
The Greek hero Theseus arrived in Athens just as a ship with black mourning sails was leaving for Crete. The entire city was plunged into deep sorrow for the young victims of the Minotaur. Courageous Theseus decided to engage in battle with this monster. He vowed to free the young Athenians or die with them. Theseus's father - old Aegeus - tried to dissuade his son from this dangerous undertaking, but Theseus was adamant. He promised his father that if he successfully defeated the Minotaur, he would return to Athens under white sails.
The ship arrived safely on the shores of Crete, and the young Athenians were taken to Minos. The king's daughter, the beautiful Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus at first sight and decided to help him defeat the Minotaur. On the eve of the battle, she gave Theseus a sharp sword and a ball of thread. When Theseus, along with other young men and women, was taken to the Labyrinth, he tied the end of a ball at the entrance. Wandering through the numerous corridors of the Labyrinth, Theseus gradually unraveled the ball. And finally, from the darkness, the roar of the Minotaur was heard. Bowing his head with huge sharp horns, he rushed at Theseus. A fierce battle ensued. The Minotaur was strong and full of rage, but Theseus still managed to defeat him.
Having killed the monster, Theseus, following the thread of the ball that Ariadne gave him, left the Labyrinth and led all the young Athenians out. Fearing the wrath of Minos, Theseus quickly equipped the ship and set off on the return journey. Ariadne, in love, followed him. However, during the journey, the god Dionysus appeared to the sleeping Theseus. He said that the gods had appointed Ariadne as his wife, and ordered Theseus to leave his beloved on the shore. Theseus did not dare to disobey Dionysus and continued on his way without Ariadne. Finally, the native shores appeared in the distance. But the excited Theseus forgot the promise he made to his father - to replace the black sails with white ones. In anticipation of his son, Aegeus peered into the distance of the sea, standing on a high rock. When he saw the black sails on the ship, in despair he threw himself off the cliff into the water and died. Since then, the sea in which Aegean found his death has been called the Aegean.
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Minotaur- An ancient Greek monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull, is perhaps one of the most famous mythological creatures. The Minotaur, whose real name was Asterius, played the role of punishment for the sins of the Athenians before the Cretan king Minos. And every year 7 boys and 7 girls were hopelessly lost in his labyrinth, doomed to a terrible death.
The legend of the terrifying minotaur was described in detail by Apollodorus, and it goes as follows: as a result of the “civil war” that took place on Crete, King Minos overthrew all his brothers and seized sole power on the island. In order to consolidate his victory, Minos needed to earn the protection of divine powers. To do this, he asked Poseidon to send a bull to earth from the depths of the sea, so that he could then be sacrificed for the glory of the Gods. However, Minos cheated, he kept the bull for himself, and sacrificed the most ordinary bull. Poseidon, angry at the betrayal of the new ruler, endowed the “sea” bull with a ferocious disposition, and sent a curse to Minos’ wife, Pasiphae, which consisted of an irresistible love passion for this bull. Unable to resist the unnatural attraction, Pasiphae asks Master Delal, who was exiled to the island for murder, to come up with some way to quench his animal passion. The master helped the queen, and after that, she gave birth to an unusual child, who was named Minotaur. The Minotaur was born with the head of a bull and the body of a man. On the advice of the oracles, Minos imprisons him in a labyrinth, which was built by the same Daedalus. The labyrinth was built in such a cunning way that anyone who gets into it will no longer be able to return back.
Every nine years, the Athenians were forced to send seven young men and seven young women to be devoured by the monster. When Theseus’s lot fell to become a victim of the insatiable Minotaur, he decided to rid his homeland of such a duty. The daughter of the Cretan king Ariadne, who fell in love with the hero, gave him a magic ball of thread. If the end of the thread is tied to the door of the palace, the ball itself rolls to the center of the labyrinth, where the Minotaur was located. Using a guiding thread, Theseus found the sleeping monster. killed the Minotaur and managed to safely find his way back through the tangle of passages in the labyrinth.
The myth of the confrontation between Theseus and the Minotaur is one of the most popular stories of the ancient world, inspiring sculptors and artists to create immortal creations. There are many known ancient vases depicting the duel, numerous poems, novels and even ballets have been created.
The Minotaur, in ancient Greek mythology, is a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull, who lived in a labyrinth on the island of Crete. The Minotaur, whose real name was Asterius, was born from Pasiphae, the wife of Minos. His father was a bull that came out of the sea, and according to another version, Poseidon himself. Minos hid his son in an underground labyrinth built by Daedalus. The labyrinth was so complex that not a single person who entered it could find a way out.
Minos suspected the Athenian king Aegeus of murdering one of his sons and, to take revenge, asked Jupiter to send a plague to Athens. The Athenians turned to the oracle for advice, who told them that the epidemic would end only if they sent seven young men and seven young women to Crete every year to be devoured by the Minotaur.
Prince Theseus decided to save the Athenians from a terrible sacrifice and destroy the Minotaur. He replaced one of the young people going to Crete. There the hero was helped by Ariadne, daughter of Minos, who was in love with him. She gave Theseus a thread that was supposed to help him get out of the labyrinth. Theseus entered the labyrinth and defeated the Minotaur.
Minotaur
The legend of the Minotaur begins with the misdeed of the king of the island of Crete, Minos. Instead of making a sacrifice to the god Poseidon, he kept the bull for himself. An angry Poseidon bewitched Minos' wife, and she committed terrible adultery with a bull. From this connection, a terrible half-bull, half-man called the Minotaur was born.
The architect Daedalus, who escaped from Greece, built the famous labyrinth in which the Minotaur was settled. Athens, which had offended the Cretan king - in order to avoid war, had to supply 14 boys and girls every year to feed the Minotaur.
Girls and boys were taken away from Athens by a mourning ship with black sails. One day, the Greek hero Theseus, the son of the ruler of Athens, Aegeus, asked his father about this ship and, having learned the terrible reason for the black sails, set out to kill the Minotaur. Having asked his father to let him go instead of one of the young men intended for feeding, he agreed with him that if he defeated the monster, then the sails on the ship would be white, but if not, then they would remain black.
On Crete, before going to dinner with the Minotaur, Theseus charmed Minos' daughter Ariadne. A girl who fell in love before entering the labyrinth gave Theseus a ball of thread, which he unwound as he moved deeper and deeper into the labyrinth. In a terrible battle, the hero defeated the monster and returned along Ariadne's thread to the exit. He set off on the return journey together with Ariadne.
However, Ariadne was supposed to become the wife of one of the gods and Theseus was not at all part of their plans. Dionysius, namely, Ariadne was supposed to become his wife, demanded that Theseus leave her. but Theseus was stubborn and did not listen. Angry, the gods sent a curse on him, which made him forget about his promise to his father; he forgot to change the sails from black to white.
The father, seeing a galley with black sails, rushed into the sea, which was called the Aegean.
Sources: www.onelegend.ru, godsbay.ru, krit.info, bobfilm.net, animalspace.net
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It contains many exciting stories, instructive legends and touching stories. There was a place in it for terrible monsters, beautiful young men, and mysterious nymphs. One of the brightest and famous characters is the Minotaur.
Of course, most of us are familiar with this monster. But how well do you know the history of its appearance? Or maybe he didn’t exist at all?
Who is the Minotaur
The appearance of the Minotaur is truly terrible: a bloodthirsty monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull.
Its diet consisted of people, and not green grass, like ordinary artiodactyls.
The Minotaur's place of residence was a labyrinth created to hide the monster from human eyes. But where did such a terrible creature come from?
Appearance of the Minotaur
In most cases, the appearance of an unusual creature is associated with the history of the ancient Gods. The man with the head of a bull was no exception.
At that time, Asterion was the king of the island of Crete. His wife, Europa, had 3 sons from a previous union with Zeus. Their names were Minos, Sapedon and Rhadamanthus.
After some time, Asterion passed away, but did not have time to bequeath his throne. Of course, a fight began between the brothers. The winner was to take the throne.
Minos, who had an advantage in the fateful struggle, called on all the gods for help, promising to make a generous sacrifice to them.
One day Poseidon sent Minos a magnificent bull that came out of the sea. It was he who had to sacrifice, fulfilling his promise. There was no doubt: it was Minos who would win, taking the throne of the king of Crete. Therefore, Sapedon and Rhadamanthus were expelled from the island.
But, as it turned out, it was hasty. Minos did not keep his oath. Poseidon's bull seemed too beautiful to him, and the self-confident young man decided to deceive. He replaced the donated bull with an ordinary one and sacrificed it.
However, everyone knows that the gods cannot be fooled. Poseidon, having learned about everything, became furious and decided to punish the deceiver.
Punishment of Poseidon
The cruelty of the punishment was in the spirit of the ancient Greek gods.
The Lord of the Seas inspired Minos' wife, Pasiphae, with an unnatural, sinful love for the bull.
Pasiphae and the cow built by Daedalus
Pasiphae went crazy with irresistible passion, but could not find a way to reunite with the desired bull. Daedalus and Icarus became her assistants in this matter.
They built a wooden frame in the shape of a cow, covering it with real hide.
Climbing inside, Pasiphae seduced the divine bull, and after the due date gave birth to a child.
The boy, named Asterius, was absolutely unusual. With age, his head turned into a bull's, and horns and a tail grew.
The terrible monster that appeared as a result of a vicious relationship was bloodthirsty: ordinary food did not give him pleasure, he needed human blood and meat.
Legendary labyrinth
To everyone’s surprise, Minos did not condemn his wife, because it was he who was to blame for what happened. But he was not going to put up with the monster either.
Daedalus and Icarus, again called to help, built the most complex labyrinth of Knossos, where the bull-man, called the Minotaur, was subsequently imprisoned.
Knowing his bloodthirstiness, Minos sent people into the labyrinth for food. As a rule, these were criminals sentenced to death.
But the king of Crete also had his own son, Androgeus. However, the young man did not have a long and happy life; he was killed by the Athenians.
Wanting to avenge the death of his heir, Minos demanded an annual payment from the Athenians: seven girls and seven boys who went into the labyrinth to be devoured by the Minotaur.
A daredevil named Theseus
Several times Athenian boys and girls disappeared without a trace in a labyrinth with a terrible monster. And only Theseus, who arrived in the next batch, was able to defeat the Minotaur. But how did he do it?
Ariadne, the half-sister of the bull man, fell in love with Theseus. She understood that if she did not do anything to save the young handsome man, he would be doomed to death.
A way of salvation was finally found. Before Theseus entered the labyrinth, Ariadne gave him a ball of thread.
A smart guy figured out to tie one end near the entrance. Moreover, the ball was magical: having touched the ground, it rolled by itself, and Theseus followed him like an experienced guide.
The ball led him to the Minotaur's lair, where he slept peacefully.
How exactly Theseus defeated the monster, no one knows. But there are several versions of what happened.
- The first source claims that Theseus killed the Minotaur with a blow of his fist.
- Others believe that he used the sword of his father, Aegeus.
- And still others believe that the Minotaur was strangled.
Be that as it may, the monster was defeated. And the magic ball of the resourceful Ariadne helped Theseus and the surviving captives escape from the labyrinth.
Unfortunately, myths involving gods rarely have a happy ending.
Theseus, in love, realizing that he could not live without Ariadne, kidnapped her and went to his homeland.
On the way, the girl drowned. Most likely, Poseidon contributed to this, as revenge for the murdered Minotaur.
Saddened Theseus fell into mourning, forgetting about everything. This is what caused other tragic events.
After the victory, the flag on the ship had to be changed to white so that Theseus' people could see the approaching hero.
However, the death of Ariadne did not allow him to do this. Noticing the black flag of the approaching ship, which was a symbol of bad news, King Aegeus regarded this as news of the death of his son, Theseus. Unable to bear the loss, Aegeus threw himself into the sea, which was later named after him.
Rationalistic version of the legend
Some ancient historians who studied myths described one non-standard, but very interesting version.
In their works, the Minotaur, like a monster with the head of a bull, is just an allegory. In fact, he was a man named Taurus.
Taurus was Minos' teacher when he was very young.
Legends say that Taurus was an extremely cruel man, and therefore Minos decided to establish a competition, during which his teacher would fight with the Athenian youths sent.
Athens at that time was indeed under the rule of Crete, and was obliged to pay tribute by the people. Having defeated 9 Athenians, Taurus met with Theseus, who was able to win.
The image of the Minotaur in culture
Ancient Greek myths often form the basis of literary works, and their colorful characters are a source of inspiration for many authors. The Minotaur was no exception.
Knossos labyrinth palace of King Minos Greece 1700 BC.
In literature, the image of a bull man can be found:
- The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
- "House of Asteria", Jorge Luis Borges
- Theseus, Mary Renault
- "Labyrinth of the Minotaur", Robert Sheckley
- "Minotaur", Friedrich Durrenmatt
- "Helm of Terror. Creatiff about Theseus and the Minotaur”, Victor Pelevin
Of course, the authenticity of the legend of the Minotaur and Theseus has not been confirmed.
It can be treated as a fairy tale, an allegorical story, and an instructive story.
However, the Minotaur's palace has survived, albeit in a dilapidated state, despite its venerable age of 4 thousand years.
The main characters were depicted on paintings, on the surfaces of vases, and in the form of sculptures. Theseus and Ariadne, lovers and brave, will forever remain in the memory of people as the saviors of humanity from a terrible monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man.
