The myth Theseus and the thread of Ariadne

The myth of Theseus and the thread of Ariadne is one of the best known in Greek mythology. Many writers, including William Shakespeare and Jorge Luis Borges, were inspired by its plot or characters for some of their works. It all began in Crete, when King Minos asked the gods to be crowned sovereign early.

It is said that Poseidon heard his request and made a beautiful white bull emerge from the sea as a sign that his wish was granted. Minos agreed to sacrifice the bull in honor of the god. However, the animal It was so beautiful that the new king had it confused with all the cattle and sacrificed another bull to fulfill the commitment.

Poseidon realized Minos’ cunning. In revenge for trying to deceive him, he made his wife, Pasiafe, incubate a passion insane Suddenly she fell in love with the bull. With the help of Daedalus, who disguised her as if she were a cow, she managed to get the beautiful white bull to copulate with her. From that union the Minotaur was born: half man, half bull.

The Minotaur and Athens

The Minotaur only ate human flesh. As he grew older he became wilder. Tells the myth of Theseus and the thread of Ariadne who, To neutralize it, Minos commissioned Daedalus to build a labyrinth with a single exit. Finally, the Minotaur was trapped there.

Meanwhile, Minos’s eldest son died at the hands of the Athenians. Minos cursed Athens and declared war. To stop the calamities that had befallen the polis, The Athenians accepted the conditions that Minos set for their surrender.. They had to give him, every year, seven young men and seven young women.

Theseus was the son of the king of Athens, Aegeus. The myth of Theseus and the son of Ariadne tells that the two had only managed to reunite after many vicissitudes. Theseus was famous for his courage and bravery. Furthermore, he had the reputation of having always defeated all of his enemies. That’s why, When he turned 18, he offered to be included among the ephebes to be sacrificed. He would take the opportunity to kill the Minotaur and end the sacrifices.

The myth of Theseus and Ariadne’s thread

This is how Theseus embarked for Crete. When he arrived, he saw Ariadne. She was the daughter of King Minos. Theseus fell in love of her upon seeing her; an event that was reciprocal. The two began a relationship and Ariadna learned what the young man’s intentions were. She knew that, even if she managed to defeat the Minotaur, she would not be able to get out of the labyrinth.

To prevent this from happening, She gave her lover a ball of gold threads. Thus Theseus would undo it as he progressed through the labyrinth, to follow his trail back.. This way, he wouldn’t get lost. Theseus began his mission. He first made the Minotaur chase him so that the beast would tire out. Then, according to the myth of Theseus and the son of Ariadne, he killed him.

As agreed, he found his way out thanks to Ariadne’s thread. Then the two embarked for Athens, along with the crew. However, Already on their way they were victims of a terrible storm. This forced them to land on the island of Naxos.

The separation

There are several versions of the myth of Theseus and the Thread of Ariadne. One of the best known points out that Dionysus, god of wine and fertility, saw Ariadne and fell in love with her. Thanks to her bad tricks, she managed to completely erase herself from the mind and heart of her lover. That’s why Theseus left, leaving Ariadne on that island.

Ariadne married Dionysus and received a crown as a wedding gift, which then ascended to heaven and became the constellation of the corona borealis.. According to the myth of Theseus and the thread of Ariadne, the latter was the victim of Medusa’s head, during a fight that Dionysus had with Perseus. Dionysus managed to go to the underworld to get her out of there and take her to live with him in Olympus forever.

Theseus, for his part, returned to Athens on his ship. He had told his father that if his venture was successful, he would raise the white sails. If not, the black sails would be hoisted. However, at the time of his return, he forgot to change the black sails for the white ones. Seeing the ship, his father thought he had died. Then he threw himself into the sea. Distraught by what had happened, Theseus baptized those waters with the name of his father: Aegean Sea..

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