The myth of the Minotaur: from birth to death of a monster. The Legend of the Palace of Knossos and the Labyrinth of the Minotaur The Meaning of the Myth of the Labyrinth of the Minotaur
Ania Mendrek tedbassman Ania Mendrek JB TorresMedina Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal William Allen Inside the Palace of Knossos (Steve Jurvetson) Max Froumentin Fresco of the Palace of Knossos (Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal) Fresco of the Palace of Knossos (Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal) Taurokatapsia, fresco from the Grand Palace of Knossos, Crete (George Groutas) Fresco with dolphins (Ania Mendrek) Ania Mendrek Ania Mendrek Ania Mendrek Palace of Knossos - North Entrance (Nelo Hotsuma) Giant pithoi (Ania Mendrek)
The culture of ancient Crete is covered with numerous myths and secrets. So the ancient Greeks believed that the island was the birthplace of the supreme god Zeus. Then the Thunderer gave the land to his son Minos, one of the most powerful rulers of antiquity. Here, according to legend, there was a labyrinth built by the order of Minos by the mythical builder Daedalus.
Knossos Palace (William Allen)
The real history of Crete was talked about only at the beginning of the 20th century, when sensational archaeological monuments and artifacts were discovered, as a result of which it became known about the existence of statehood that arose long before Ancient Greek.
In 1900, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans began excavations near Knossos. The very first penetrations into the cultural layer of the soil opened the eyes of researchers to evidence of the existence of settlements on these lands. And two weeks later, the remains of buildings that occupied an area of 2.5 hectares appeared before the eyes of scientists. Their outlines resembled a labyrinth.
The abundance of rooms and halls with many doors and a complex scheme of corridors, even in a ruined state, could confuse anyone. All this led a number of researchers to the idea that the found Knossos palace once belonged to the semi-mythical king Minos, the father of Ariadne and the owner of the terrible creature of the Minotaur.
Thus, a civilization was discovered, which in modern history has received the name "Cretan-Mycenaean".
Knossos Palace: architecture and interior decoration
Many who saw the Palace of Knossos with their own eyes claim that it is he who is the legendary labyrinth of the Minotaur, which came to life from myths.
Eyewitnesses are not embarrassed by the fact that the labyrinth in Crete was built much later than the myth itself was born. And this is no coincidence, the impressive architecture and scale of the building suggest this idea.
Inside the Palace of Knossos (Steve Jurvetson)
The palace of Knossos was larger than the Vatican and Versailles. Built on a solid foundation, the building had a complex system of passages.
The palace was a kind of building-state with various multi-level buildings connected by countless stairs and passages.
There were several courtyards and buildings, a theater and the summer residence of the king, temples, warehouses and even internal gardens. With all this diversity, the Palace of Knossos was not a chaotic heap, but had a clearly conceived architectural plan, which has no other analogues in the world.
The palace of Knossos was distinguished by its magnificent decor with artistic painting and frescoes with a complex composition. Artifacts found during excavations testify to the luxury of the furnishings.
So fragments of furniture and elements of decoration have survived to our time: golden vases and lamps, gilded figurines of the gods. Armor inlaid with precious stones was found in the storerooms. In the rooms - women's jewelry.
The surviving wall paintings give an idea of the values and ideals of a bygone civilization. Here you can find the ideas of the Minoans about the universe and the gods. In addition, wall scenes made it possible to establish the material culture of a bygone civilization: traditional clothes, household items, occupation, etc.
Fresco with dolphins (Ania Mendrek)
Why was the palace of Knossos destroyed?
There is no exact information about the "death" of the Knossos palace. There is a version that it was destroyed during an earthquake and was abandoned by people.
It is also possible that he was buried under the action of volcanic lava that covered him during a volcanic eruption, as evidenced by the corpses of people and animals found during excavations.
And a completely mythical version - the inhabitants of Knossos are representatives of Atlantis.
The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur
One of the famous ancient Greek myths says that once upon a time a terrible creature lived on the island of Crete - the minotaur - a monster with a human body and a bull's head.
It was the fruit of a vicious connection between the wife of the Cretan ruler Minos Pasiphae and a bull. To hide the traces of infidelity of his wife, Minos ordered Daedalus to build a labyrinth, in which he placed the monster.
After the son of Minos Androgey, the angry ruler of Crete, died at the competitions in Athens, he demanded a terrible tribute from the Athenians - every 9 years, 7 girls and 7 boys arrived on the island by ship. All of them, as a sign of punishment, went to the labyrinth, where they either died, unable to get out of the labyrinth, or were torn apart by a ferocious monster guarding the underground possessions.
The third terrible tribute from Athens was taken to the island of Crete and the son of the ruler of Athens - Theseus. The young man begged his father Aegeus to let him go along with the young people in the hope of defeating the monster and breaking the chain of terrible tribute. So, under black sails - a symbol of mourning - another group of terrible sacrifices set off. However, Theseus assured his father that he would return alive and announce his victory with white sails.
According to the myth, the beautiful Ariadne, the daughter of the ruler of Crete, fell in love with Theseus. To save her lover, she came up with a cunning plan - she secretly gave him a knife to kill the Minotaur and a ball of thread, through which the hero and his companions could get out of the labyrinth.
The plan was a success - the monster was defeated, and the young people went to their homeland. Ariadne followed her lover. However, Theseus was forced to abandon the girl, because she was destined to be the wife of the god Dionysus.
Saddened by separation, the young man forgot to change the sails, and the ship entered the harbor of Athens under a black banner. Seeing this, Aegeus, distraught with grief, thinking that his son was dead, threw himself off a cliff into the sea. Since then, it has become known as the Aegean.
Minotaur Labyrinth: Fiction and Truth
The emergence of the legend of the Minotaur has a historical basis. In Crete, the cult of the bull has been revered since ancient times. It was believed that he ruled the underworld and in anger shook the earthly firmament, causing it to oscillate. This is how the islanders explained private earthquakes.
Knossos Palace - North Entrance (Nelo Hotsuma)
The island of Crete, which is of volcanic origin, was constantly subjected to earth tremors. Numerous finds of ceramics, images on walls and frescoes, where the main character is a bull, also speak in favor of this version. To appease the wrath of the underground god, the Cretans offered him human sacrifices. So there is information about the existence in the ancient Cretan cult ritual - a dance with bulls.
Tauropols - girls and boys who underwent special training - participated in this sacred ceremony. Their whole life was devoted to mastering the sacred dance, so that at the age of 14-15 they would be sacrificed to the underground god during the bloody "fun" with the bulls.
At the same time, the Cretans identified the labyrinth with the path of life - there is a beginning and an end, their own roads, choice of direction and dead ends. In addition, the labyrinth was a symbol of the struggle of light forces with dark principles.
Thus, the labyrinth was covered with a kind of sacred meaning. It is no coincidence that the Cretan builders equipped all the temples in the likeness of a labyrinth.
Frescoes in the Palace of Knossos
The frescoes of the Palace of Knossos with graceful drawings of the Minoan culture picturesquely decorate the walls. The main colors used by ancient decorative artists are turquoise, orange, black and bright red.
Fresco of the Palace of Knossos (Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal)
Many frescoes with images of girls who jump over a bull, beautiful young men, the “Prince with a Lily”, “Rhyton Bearer” are skillfully and detailed.
Unfortunately, tourists are not allowed to many rooms with beautiful images. The throne room is decorated with paintings in red and white shades, with painted graceful vultures guarding the throne of the ruler of Knossos. The walls of the rooms above the throne room are decorated with copies of found frescoes (the "Hall of Frescoes") with beautiful images of "Blue Bird", "Lady in Blue", "Blue Monkey", "Saffron Collector", "Playing with Bulls" and many others. The original frescoes are kept in the Heraklion Museum.
Of particular interest is the megaron of the Queen of Knossos. Parts of a clay bath were found in the bath. The image of a labros periodically appears on the walls of the palace - this is a sign of a labyrinth, which once again suggests that the Palace of Knossos is the secret labyrinth of the Minotaur from the myths of Ancient Greece.
Knossos Palace - the main tourist attraction of Crete
The similarity of the Knossos palace to a labyrinth has made it the most popular archaeological site among tourists. In all guidebooks, its second name is noted - “The Labyrinth of the Minotaur”.
There is also a legend that the real labyrinth built for the Minotaur is hidden under the mountains. It is an extensive network of bizarre caves and outlines. Locals claim that strange creatures still live in it to this day.
The attractiveness of the Palace of Knossos also lies in the fact that even during the excavations, work was carried out in parallel to restore it. Thus, not just ruins appear before tourists, but reconstructed premises of the “labyrinth”. But at the same time, the restoration work carried out does not allow an ordinary tourist to determine where the real remains of the palace are, and where is just an interpretation.
Where is the Palace of Knossos?
The Palace of Knossos is located near the Cretan capital of Heraklion. Buses run constantly towards the palace. Thus, the way to the main attraction of the island takes quite a bit of time.
Cost of visiting the Labyrinth of the Minotaur
A visit to the "maze" for adults will cost 6 euros, for children - 3 euros. The museum-palace is open all year round. During the tourist peak - from July to October - it is open from 8 to 19 hours. The rest of the time - from 8 to 15. Near the palace there are numerous souvenir shops where everyone can buy a memorable gift.
Tips: how to save money on excursions to the Palace of Knossos?
The palace of Knossos stands serenely, literally on the outskirts of the capital of Crete, Heraklion. Only 4 kilometers from magnificent beaches and a popular recreation area, so getting here is quite easy.
Juan Manuel Caicedo Carvajal
When purchasing a guided tour to the Palace of Knossos, you can overpay 3-5 times, the average price from a tour operator is 50 euros, from a street guide - 35 euros. Note that the entrance to the museum complex itself is not included in the price of the tour offer.
But there are also positive aspects here - a comfortable bus and a competent guide.
For those who want to visit the museum complex on their own and save money, they can use the public bus. Every 10-15 minutes buses leave from the Heraklion bus station and the Astoria hotel (bus number 2) to the Palace of Knossos. The trip does not last long - about 20 minutes.
There are differences between the buses: green buses are intercity buses, blue buses are city buses. For a trip to the Palace of Knossos, a blue bus leaves, costing 1.5 euros one way (final stop). The bus ticket must be bought from the vending machine located at the bus stop.
For those who rented a car, there is free parking near the palace complex and many signs on how to get there, which, however, are not required, because. almost all rental cars in Crete are equipped with navigators with maps of the island's attractions.
Cost of visiting
The cost of visiting the palace complex is 6 euros, children under 5 years old - free of charge, preferential categories, children 5-12 years old - 3 euros. We advise you to purchase a "double ticket" at a price of 10 euros for an adult, which is also a ticket to the informative and interesting Heraklion Archaeological Museum (children under 5 years old also have free admission).
Best time to visit
A visit to the Palace of Knossos during the largest tourist months (from April to October) is possible from 8-00 to 19-00 on weekdays (on weekends entry until 15-00); and from March to November from 8:00 to 15:00. Crowds of tourists can be avoided if you visit the palace complex in the morning or closer to the closing of the museum. An hour or two to visit the museum complex is enough.
Free entry
Like many Greek museums and the Acropolis, Crete has special days for tourists, where entry to many museum complexes is free. This also applies to visiting the Palace of Knossos. So, these are the days - May 18, June 5, August 15, September 27 and the last weekend of September.
Before the trip, it is advisable to prepare and study the map of the Palace complex. The palace of Knossos is located on a hilltop, so it is almost constantly blown by hot wind and open to the hot rays of the sun. You must wear hats and take drinking water. Souvenir products are still better to buy in Heraklion, where they will cost several times cheaper.
Minotaur - a monster from Crete, the main opponent of Theseus. Described as a man with a bull's head, 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 a bull's head. 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 the animal to be sacrificed.
Minos felt sorry for killing such a wonderful creature, and he released the bull to graze along with the herd, and instead killed another, ordinary one. Poseidon became angry and inspired Pasiphae with an unnatural attraction to the bull. According to some sources, Poseidon himself (in a number of myths - Zeus) turned into a bull in order to copulate with the queen. To do this, the Athenian engineer Daedalus came up with an ingenious design in the form of a bronze cow attractive to a bull. It was hollow on 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. The Minotaur was fed by criminals and Athenian youths and girls - they were brought in every nine years, seven males and seven females. In some myths, seven children were sacrificed to the Minotaur.
Pausanias wrote that the real name of the Minotaur was Asterius, i.e. "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, which could probably be Ariadne.
Minotaur and Theseus
Diodorus writes that Theseus sailed in the second game, and Plutarch claimed that in the third. But it is known for sure that the hero was among the victims of the Minotaur after he killed him. According to some sources, to reduce the resistance of the captives, 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. Together with the others, he was launched 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) gave him a ball of thread with her, which Theseus unwound all the way. As a result, he and the rest of the captives left the labyrinth unharmed. The throne at Amykla contains an image of a captive Minotaur led by Theseus on a rope.
Rationalist version of the legend of the Minotaur
Philochor, and after it Eusebius in their writings 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 sent Athenian youths. 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 Daedalus' Labyrinth, according to Plutarch was the most ordinary prison. Ordinary prisoners were housed within its walls, and in very tolerable conditions. Minos annually held competitions in honor of Androgeus, his son, who was killed by the Athenians. The winner received as slaves boys and girls sent from Athens. 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 hard-hearted master, merciless with slaves. Aristotle's "State Structure of Bottia" clearly expresses the author's idea that it was simply unprofitable to kill the sent people - young people were highly valued in 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 engaged in battle with the fleet of Theseus 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 "hell of fire" came from the place where human sacrifices were made to Moloch - the children were "guided through the fire", that is, they were burned alive. The cult of Moloch could very well be in Crete. The death of the Minotaur marked the end of this cult.
A number of modern historians consider the history of the Minotaur to be an allegorical story about the collision of the 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 more civilized Indo-Europeans in the modern sense. Also, the appearance of the Minotaur is suggestive 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 protocorrida. Scenes with bull belts are often found on the frescoes of the Cretan period. Artistic materials of the Minoan era contain images of taurocatapsia - ritual jumps over a bull. The cult of the worship of the bull was very strong in Crete, and such rituals were a significant part of it.
A similar theme 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 veneration are common in Mediterranean cultures. Today, this phenomenon has survived as a Spanish bullfight.
The double-edged ax of the executioner - "labrys", was an integral part of the bull cult. Probably, "labyrinth" is a modified "labrys". Pre-Hellenic religions often practiced sacred bullfights, and Cretan demonology contains quite a few bull-headed people. The minotaur living in 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.
Myths of Ancient Greece tell about the existence of Knossos (Knossos Palace), where King Minos ruled, and a terrible monster lived in the Labyrinth of his palace, the Minotaur - a creature with a bull's head and a human body, eating human flesh!
But in short, it all began with the fact that the mighty Zeus, the supreme god of Olympus, saw the beautiful Europe, the daughter of a wealthy Phoenician king. I saw and desired. In order not to frighten the girl and her friends, he took the form of a wonderful bull. His fur shone, his golden horns were curved, and a silver spot burned on his forehead like a moon. The bull's breath was fragrant with ambrosia, and the whole air was filled with this aroma. A miraculous bull appeared in a clearing and approached the maidens, among whom was Europe, when they frolicked and picked flowers. The maidens surrounded the marvelous animal and gently stroked it. The bull approached Europe, licked her hands and caressed her. Then quietly lay down at her feet, offering to sit on it.
Laughing, Europe sat down on the bull's broad back. Other girls wanted to sit next to her. But suddenly the bull jumped up and rushed to the sea. Like the wind, the golden-horned bull rushed, then he rushed into the sea and quickly, like a dolphin, swam through the azure waters. The waves of the sea parted before him, and soon they appeared in the sea distance of the shores of Crete. Zeus the bull quickly swam to him with his precious burden and went ashore. Europa became the wife of Zeus and lived in Crete ever since. TShe had three sons from Zeus: Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpidon. Later, Europa married King Asterion of Crete, who adopted the children of Zeus. After the death of Asterion, the eldest son, Minos, became king. He married Pasiphae, daughter of the sun god Helios and the nymph Kriti. They had 4 sons and 4 daughters, including the beautiful Ariadne. Together they lived in the palace of Knossos.
During one great feast, Minos wanted to make a sacrifice in honor of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and asked him that Poseidon send a magnificent animal for this (this is a strange way to make sacrifices, first asking them;). In response, Poseidon sent a beautiful white bull out of the sea. So beautiful that Minos took pity on him and sacrificed another bull. Poseidon was very angry, and in order to punish Minos, he inspired the voluptuous queen Parsifai with an insane passion for a white bull. To satisfy her perverse passion, Parsifai turned to the famous master Daedalus. Daedalus made an empty effigy of a cow, and when Parsiphae entered this effigy, the bull was reunited with her. From this disgusting copulation the Minotaur was born, a monster with a human body and a bull's head. In order to avoid a scandal, King Minos locked the Minotaur in labyrinth, a complex structure that Daedalus built for this.
The further fate of the white bull is unknown.
Further, the myth tells about Androgeos, the son of Minos, who took part in the games in Athens and became the winner in all sports disciplines. Some of the offended Athenians ambushed and killed him. This murder aroused the wrath of Minos, he immediately declared war on Athens and went on a campaign. The compensation he demanded from the Athenian king Aegeus was much harsher and more shameful than the defeat of Athens itself: every 9 years Aegeus had to send 7 girls and 7 boys to the Labyrinth. They were locked in the huge palace of the Labyrinth, where they were devoured by a terrible monster.
Theseus and the Minotaur
The son of the Athenian king, the young hero Theseus, decided to stop paying this terrible tribute and protect the innocent. When the ambassadors from Crete arrived for the third time for the due tribute, everyone in Athens was plunged into deep sadness and equipped a ship with black sails, Theseus voluntarily entered the number of young men sent to Crete, with the sole purpose of killing the Minotaur. King Aegeus categorically did not want to let go of his only son, but Theseus insisted on his own.
In Crete, at Knossos, the mighty king of Crete immediately drew attention to a beautiful muscular youth. He was also noticed by the daughter of Minos, Ariadne. Ariadne was fascinated by Theseus and decided to help him. Knowing that the Labyrinth was built in such a way that those who got there could never find a way out, she secretly gave Theseus a sharp sword and a ball (Ariadne's thread) secretly from her father, which helped him not to get lost. Theseus tied the thread at the entrance, and entered the Labyrinth, gradually unwinding the ball. Theseus walked further and, finally, he saw the Minotaur. With a formidable roar, bowing his head with huge sharp horns, the Minotaur rushed at the hero. A terrible battle began. Finally, Theseus grabbed the Minotaur by the horn and plunged his sharp sword into his chest. Having killed the Minotaur, Theseus found a way out with the help of a ball of thread and brought out all the Athenian boys and girls. Theseus quickly equipped his ship and, having cut through the bottom of all the ships of the Cretans, hastily set off on his return journey. Ariadne also left Knossos and sailed away with Theseus.
However, Ariadne and Theseus were not destined to live together happily ever after. Theseus had to yield Ariadne to the god Dionysus. She didn't make it to Athens. The goddess was Ariadne, the wife of the great Dionysus. But that is another story...
The ship of Theseus rushed on its black sails across the azure sea, approaching the shores of Attica. Theseus, saddened by the loss of Ariadne, forgot about the agreement with his father - he had to replace the black sails with white ones in case of a safe return. Aegeus was waiting for his son. A dot appeared in the distance, now it grows, approaching the shore, and it is already clear that this is his son's ship, a ship under black sails. So Theseus is dead! In desperation, Aegeus threw himself from a high cliff into the sea, and the waves washed his lifeless body ashore. Since then, the sea in which Aegeus died has been called the Aegean.
At this time, in the palace of Knossos, Daedalus, who was being held captive by Minos so that he would not leave and reveal the secret of the Labyrinth, was planning his escape. With the help of artificial wings, which were held together with wax, he flew away with his son Icarus. Then you probably know everything. Icarus, fascinated by the flight, flew too high to the sun, the hot sun's rays melted the wax, and ... Icarus was called the sea in which young Icarus died.
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Stores many exciting stories, instructive legends and touching stories. There was a place in it for terrible monsters, and beautiful young men, and mysterious nymphs. One of the brightest and most 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 it didn't exist at all?
Who is the Minotaur
The appearance of the Minotaur is really terrible: a bloodthirsty monster with a human body and a bull's head.
The diet of his diet was people, and not green grass, like ordinary artiodactyls.
The residence of the Minotaur 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, Europe, had 3 sons from a previous union with Zeus. Their names were Minos, Sapedon and Rhadamanthus.
After some time, Asterion departed to another world, but did not have time to bequeath his throne. Of course, the struggle between the brothers began. The winner was to take the throne.
Minos, who had an advantage in the fateful struggle, called on the help of all the gods, promising to bring them a generous sacrifice.
One day, Poseidon sent Minos a magnificent bull that came out of the sea. It was him that he had to sacrifice, fulfilling his promises. There was no doubt: it was Minos who would win, taking the throne of the king of Crete. Therefore, Sapedon and Rhadamanth were expelled from the island.
But, as it turned out, quickly. 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 the most ordinary one, and sacrificed it.
However, everyone knows that the gods can not be deceived. Poseidon, having learned about everything, became furious, and decided to punish the deceiver.
Punishment of Poseidon
The cruelty of punishment was in the spirit of the ancient Greek gods.
The Lord of the Seas inspired the wife of Minos, Pasiphae, with an unnatural, sinful love for the bull.
Pasiphae and the cow built by Daedalus
Pasiphae went crazy with irresistible passion, but she 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, covered with a real skin.
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, 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.
Daedalus and Icarus, again called to help, built the most complex labyrinth of Knossos, where a bull-man, called the Minotaur, was later imprisoned.
Knowing about 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 a son, Androgey. However, the young man did not have a long and happy life; he was killed by the Athenians.
Wanting to avenge the death of the heir, Minos demanded an annual payment from the Athenians: seven girls and seven young men 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, half-sister of the bull-man, fell in love with Theseus. She understood that if she did nothing to save the young handsome man, he would be doomed to death.
Still, there was a way to escape. Before Theseus went into the labyrinth, Ariadne gave him a ball of thread.
A smart guy guessed to tie one end near the entrance. Moreover, the ball was magical: touching the ground, it rolled by itself, and Theseus followed him like an experienced guide.
The ball led him to the lair of the Minotaur, 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 from his fist.
- Others believe that he used the sword of his father, Aegeus.
- And still others believe that the Minotaur was strangled.
Whatever it was, the monster was defeated. And the magic ball of the resourceful Ariadne helped Theseus and the surviving captives to get out of 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 everything. This is what caused other tragic events.
After the victory, the flag on the ship had to be changed to white so that the people of Theseus could see the approaching hero.
However, the death of Ariadne did not allow him to do this. Noticing the black flag of an 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.
Rationalist version of the legend
Some ancient historians who studied myths described one non-standard, but very interesting version.
In their writings, the Minotaur, like a monster with a bull's head, is just an allegory. In fact, he was a man named Taurus.
Taurus was the teacher of Minos when he was very young.
Legends say that Taurus was an extremely cruel person, and therefore Minos decided to establish a competition during which his teacher would fight with sent Athenian youths.
Athens at that time was indeed under the rule of Crete, and was obliged to pay tribute to 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 Palace-Labyrinth of King Minos Greece 1700 BC
In literature, the image of a bull-man can be found:
- The Divine Comedy Dante Alighieri
- House of Asterius, Jorge Luis Borges
- Theseus, Mary Renault
- The Labyrinth of the Minotaur, Robert Sheckley
- "Minotaur", Friedrich Dürrenmatt
- "Helmet 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, and as an allegorical story, and as an instructive story.
However, the palace of the Minotaur has survived, albeit in a dilapidated form, despite its venerable age of 4 thousand years.
The main characters were depicted on the canvases of paintings, the surfaces of vases, in the form of sculptures. Theseus and Ariadne, loving and brave, will forever remain in the memory of people as the saviors of mankind from a terrible monster with a bull's head and a human body.
Minotaur this is a terrible bloodthirsty monster that has a body from a man, but inherited a head and tail from a bull. Such a monster ate exclusively human bodies, and he needed food in considerable quantities. He lived in a labyrinth from which it was absolutely impossible for an ordinary person who got there to get out.
As is the case with many powerful creatures of the wild, the origin of the minotaur is closely connected with the history of the ancient gods. In those distant times, the island of Crete was ruled by King Asterion. It so happened that he took Europa as his wife, who had three sons born from her union with Zeus himself. The children were named Minos, Sapedon and Rhadamanthus.
The moment came when the ruler died, and he did not have time to bequeath the throne to one of the offspring. As usual in such situations, the struggle for the throne between the brothers began.
It was Minos who had the advantage, since even his name meant "king". In addition, he called on all the gods for help and boasted of their support. Minos promised to make a generous sacrifice to the gods. And then one fine day, Poseidon himself sent him a magnificent bull from the sea. Now no one could doubt the victory of the future king. Two less fortunate brothers were expelled from the island of Crete.
But Minos did not keep his promise to Poseidon, but sacrificed the most ordinary bull from the herd, leaving himself a divine gift. For this, the lord of the seas and oceans was seriously angry with the negligent king and decided to punish him.
Appearance of the Minotaur
Kara was sophisticated. Poseidon instilled in the wife of the guilty king, Pasiphae, love for the bull. Going crazy with perverted passion, the woman was looking for a way to reunite with the object of her desires. Two masters helped her in this: Daedalus and Icarus. Being inside a wooden frame covered with the skin of a real cow, Pasiphae seduced a powerful bull. From this unnatural vicious connection, the queen brought offspring.
The child, a boy whom the queen named Asterius, of course, was not quite normal. When he grew up a little, his head became bullish, horns grew and a tail appeared. He became a creepy monster who had to be fed something, but ordinary human food did not suit him. He was tormented by a thirst for blood, the meat of people.
minotaur labyrinth
King Minos realized that this was his punishment for breaking the promise given to Poseidon. Therefore, he did not judge his wife, but something had to be done with the predatory freak. With the help of the same Daedalus and Icarus, an unimaginably tangled one was built, where the bull-man, named by the Minotaur, was imprisoned.
As food, people were sent to him, mostly sentenced criminals who could not get out of the cunning confusion of roads and remained there to be eaten by the monster. Subsequently, wanting to avenge the death of his only son Androgeus, King Minos demanded an annual payment from the Athenians, in the form of seven girls and seven guys. They became victims of the labyrinth and the Minotaur.
Who killed the minotaur
According to legend, only in the third batch of unfortunates sent to the island was a daredevil named Theseus. The half-sister of the Minotaur, named Ariadne, fell in love with this handsome and brave young man. Realizing that he, having gone into the labyrinth, would certainly be doomed to death, she decided to find a way to save him. The girl handed young Theseus a ball of thread, one end of which the guy tied near the entrance. He managed not only to get out of the trap, but also to defeat the Minotaur in the fight. Some sources say that the future king of Athens won with his bare hands, with a fist. Others mention the sword of Aegeus. However, in any case, the monster was defeated. And thanks to the thread leading to the exit, all the surviving prisoners of the labyrinth, led by Theseus, left their sophisticated prison.