Greeting, Greek mythology fans! My last post concentrated on approximately the first half of the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. I will now continue this fascinating tale.
As you will most likely recall, we last left Theseus having arrived in Athens and having learned that 14 children are to be sent to the horrible Minotaur in Crete to be eaten. Theseus, wanting none of this, storms off to find his father (who, mind you, he does not even know). When he finds King Aegeus he runs up to him, and hesitates; Aegeus recognizes him because he is only wearing one sandal, a prophecy come true. The two embrace, father to son, and Theseus immediately informs his father that he is going to be one of the 14 children sent to the Minotaur, except for the fact that he is going to slay that horrible beast.
Aegeus: "No you're not."
Theseus: "Yes, I am."
Aegeus: "No, You're NOT."
Theseus: "Yes, I AM!!"
Aegeus realized that he would get no further with his son, with whom he was secretly pleased, and so he told him that he could go, only that he must promise to do something for him. Aegeus would provide Theseus with a ship that had a sail the color black on one side, and white on the other. Aegeus would watch every day from a nearby cliff for the return of Theseus--if Theseus had been successful, Aegeus instructed him to have the white part of the sail facing forward, if not, the black. In this way Aegeus would be able to tell whether or not the mission had been successful, or if all the children and Theseus had been devoured by the hungry Minotaur.
And so, according to mythological sources, Theseus, another 13 somewhat less doomed children, and the sailing crew set forth on the 6th of April. Usually myths aren't that specific, but nevertheless, the 6th of April it was. Soon they arrived at the port at Crete, where Ariadne, the beautiful daughter of King Minos came to greet them. As soon as she cast her eyes on Theseus she knew that she had met her doom. She immediately fell in love with him.
That night, at a huge feast set forth to fatten up the children to further delight the Minotaur, Ariadne sat next to Theseus, glancing over at him many a time, waiting for him to speak. Ariadne was dazzlingly beautiful, and was used to much attention placed upon her. When Theseus did not appear particularly interested (how could he be when he was to come face to face the next day with a beast that towered over him and was treble his strength?), Ariadne spoke up:
Ariadne: "You know, Theseus, even if you manage to kill my step brother Asterion, you'll never get out of the Labyrinth alive."
Theseus: (casting his widening eyes upon Ariadne as if seeing her for the first time) "How's that?"
Ariadne: "Because you'll never find your way out again, and die of hunger."
Theseus: (in typical male fashion does not answer)
Ariadne: "You know Theseus, you can either die ... or you can marry me and I'll give you the secret of the Labyrinth."
Theseus: (thinking quickly to himself: death or drop down dead gorgeous princess to marry? death ... or beautiful princess? hmmm ... ). "Will you marry me?"
And so the next morning, as the procession of children was led to the huge double bronze doors of the Labyrinth, Ariadne snuck a magically glowing golden ball of thread to Theseus, which he promptly hid in his tunic. (Ariadne had procured this key to the Labyrinth from Daedalus himself the night before, who was remaining at the court of King Minos). As soon as the children and Theseus were led inside the Labyrinth, they heard the terrible grinding and booming close of the bronze doors, and then a deafening silence, and then a horrible roar, a horribly hungry roar, a borborygmic bellowing way off somewhere in the darkness and depths of the horrible Labyrinth.
Keeping his wits about him, Theseus told the children to stay put, to stay by the door, lest they become lost forever. The children had no trouble complying with this order! Theseus set down the magical ball of golden thread, which began to unwind by itself, first taking Theseus left, then right, then left, then right, then right, then yet another right, then back to the left, then straight for some time, then right yet again, then left, left, left, then right, right, right, right, then left yet again, then left, straight for seemingly forever (because the hunger pangs of the Minotaur began to become louder and louder), then left, left, right, right, right, right, left, half-right, half-left, diagonally, then ... whoa!!!!!!!!!!
What Theseus saw before him made him gasp. Imagine a floor piled with human bones. Imagine a 30' tall looming figure with huge horns of a bull standing in the center of those bones, bellowing with hunger, and flexing its enormous muscles. Asterion, the great Minotaur, had caught the scent of Theseus, and with no further ado, came crashing after him, crunching on all those human bones.
A goner, you say? Theseus held his ground until the very last second, then nimbly leapt out of the way, which caused the befuddled Minotaur to smash into the wall. However, quick as lightning Asterion pulled away, and ran after Theseus once again, who feigned (or maybe not so!) to be running away, far to the other wall of this central chamber of the Labyrinth, again waiting until the very last second ... and dodging out of the way. This time it took a second more for the Minotaur to disengage its horns which had hit with terrible force into the wall of the Labyrinth, just enough time for Theseus to leap onto his back! And then, nimble wrestler that he was, he was barely able to encircle his arms around the terrifically strong Minotaur's neck, gave a mighty, heroic twist, and broke his neck!
Stay tuned for my next post, Theseus and the Minotaur, Part III, which will conclude the exciting story of Theseus defeating the Minotaur. Will he find his way back? Will he save the children? Will he and Ariadne remain happily married? What will King Minos do once he realizes that Asterion is dead? Ah, so many questions to be answered ...
*Book Corner* A wonderful fully illustrated graphic novel, Theseus: Battling the Minotaur: A Greek Myth, is available from Amazon that fully delineates and illustrates this fabulous Greek myth.
Interested in English vocabulary and its Latin and Greek roots? Take a look at
www.wordempire.com, a site which describes the most comprehensive dictionary available based on English derivatives that come from Latin and Greek root words.
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