More often than not, only old memories remain of old myths and legends, considered to be fairy tales, which are passed down from generation to generation. But sometimes the thin line between reality and fantasy is erased, showing the world undeniable facts. Such an exception was the Knossos Labyrinth of the Minotaur on the island of Crete, the ruins of which we can contemplate to this day.
According to one of the ancient Greek myths, a huge palace with an intricate system of passages was erected on this island during the reign of King Minos. This labyrinth was built for a reason. It was within its walls that the king settled the Minotaur: a monster with a human body and a bull's head, which came from the unnatural love of Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos, to a bull sent by Poseidon, the god of the seas.
Every seven years, Athens enslaved by Minos sent seven beautiful girls and seven young men to Crete, who were given over to be torn apart by the fierce Minotaur. Decades passed and the number of victims increased inexorably, bringing pain and suffering to the inhabitants of Athens …
When, once again, the mourning ship with black sails was supposed to deliver a terrible tribute, the young hero Theseus decided to go with the Athenian boys and girls to put an end to this madness. There was little choice: to slay the Minotaur or perish yourself.
Aged Aegeus did not want to hear about the wild idea of his only son, but the brave Theseus was unshakable. He made a sacrifice to Apollo Delphinius himself, the patron saint of sea travel, and the oracle instructed him to choose the goddess of love Aphrodite as his patroness in this feat. Summoning Aphrodite to help and offering her a sacrifice, the young hero went to Crete.
When the ship sailed to the ill-fated island, the Athenian boys and girls were taken to Minos. The king immediately drew attention to the athletic and beautiful young man, which was Theseus. The king's daughter, Ariadne, also noticed him, and the patroness of Theseus, Aphrodite, aroused in her heart a strong love for the young son of Aegea.
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Ariadne, fascinated by Theseus, decided to help the brave young man and, so that he would not die in a gloomy labyrinth, secretly gave him a sword and a ball of thread.
When Theseus and all the doomed were taken to the entrance to the Labyrinth, he imperceptibly tied a thread to one of the stone columns, so that in case of victory, he would find the way back along it. Then the hero stepped into the dark and confused abode of the monster, where death could wait for him at every turn.
Theseus made his way further and further and, finally, came to the place where the Minotaur was. With a menacing roar, bowing his head with huge sharp horns, the Minotaur rushed at the brave man, and a terrible battle began. Half-beast-half-man, full of hatred for people, fiercely attacked Theseus, but he deflected his blows with his sword. Finally, the son of Aegeus grabbed the monster by the horn and thrust his sharp sword into its chest. A heartbreaking roar echoed through the maze and was lost in its depths.
This feat is often depicted on many Attic household items. For example, on a wide-necked amphora, which is kept in the Gregorian Etruscan Museum of the Vatican, located in the palace of Innocent VIII.
Having slain the Minotaur, Theseus left the dungeon along a thread, leading all the Athenian boys and girls. Ariadne met him at the exit, rejoicing that her lover was still alive. Those whom he saved also rejoiced - glorifying the hero and his patroness Aphrodite, they led a merry round dance.
To avoid the king's wrath, Theseus, Ariadne and the Athenians cut the bottom of all the Cretans' ships pulled ashore, equipped a ship and set sail in full sail back to Athens.
On the way back, Theseus came to the coast of Naxos. When the hero and his companions were resting from wanderings, the god of wine Dionysus appeared to Theseus in a dream and told him that he must leave Ariadne on the deserted coast of Naxos, since the gods appointed her to be his wife, the god Dionysus. Theseus woke up and quickly got ready to go, full of sadness. He did not dare to disobey the will of the gods. Ariadne became the goddess, the wife of the great Dionysus. The companions of Dionysus, Ariadne, greeted loudly and praised the wife of the great god with singing.
Theseus' ship was speeding by on its black sails, cutting the waves of the sea. The coast of Attica has already appeared in the distance. Forgotten Theseus, saddened by the loss of Ariadne, the promise given to Aegeus - to replace the black sails with white ones if he returns to Athens with a victory.
Aegeus often stood on a high rock and looked into the sea distance, looking for a white dot there - a symbol of his son's return home. When a black dot appeared in the distance, father's hopes began to collapse, but he peered to the last at the approaching ship. When there was no doubt about the black sails, Aegeus, seized with despair, threw himself off the cliff into the raging sea. And after some time his lifeless body was carried ashore by waves.
Theseus moored to the shores of Attica and was already making grateful sacrifices to the gods, when suddenly, to his horror, he learned that he had become the involuntary cause of his father's death. With great honors, Theseus buried the body of his father, heartbroken, and after the funeral he assumed power over Athens.
At the moment it is known that not only the Athenians, but also various types of criminals were taken to the Knossos Labyrinth. According to one of the versions, the murderers even had their eyes gouged out so that, before death, they felt on themselves all the horror of the ominous unknown reigning there. Whether the Minotaur existed or not, but in those dark corridors, something strong obviously lived, feeding on human flesh …