Mythology: Theseus, Minotaur, Centaurs, Ariadne

By: Anusha Basra & Monali Patel

Lineage: (Parents) Mother-Princess Aethra, Father- King Aegeus of Athens, Step-Mom- Medea (tried to poison Theseus), Step-Father- Posiedon (Spouse) Hippolyta, Queen of The Amazons, goddess of war, daughter of Ares. (She was abducted by him in the Amazons). Later married to Phaidra, (Children)- Hippolytus (son of Theseus and Hippolyta), Acamas, and Demophon (Sons of Theseus and Phaedra) (Grandfather) Pittheus King of Troezen (Lived with his grandfather and mother)

Symbol: Powers: Bravery and mainly external strength. Bravery plays an important role

for Theseus, because even when King Aegeus’s father him not to take the risk to kill Minotaur, he still went.

Weakness: One of his weakness is forgetfulness and irresponsibility. He forgets to change the sails from black to white when he was told by his dad. That’s the main reason why King Aegus died from jumping into the sea, because he thought his son had died. So that also made him irresponsible, because it was his duty to change the sails as his promise .

Identification: A Greek Hero of the Athens. Description: His parents were Princess Aethra and King Aegeus. When he was

16, he pushed the rock away, took the sword and sandals, and headed for Athens. On his way to Athens, he fought with Sinis, Sciron, Periphetes, Cercyon, and Procustus. Had a love for Danger and Adventure.Greek hero, especially national hero of Athens; slayer of the Minotaur. Theseus, son of Aegeus decided to be one of the seven young men that would go to Crete, in order to kill the Minotaur and end the human sacrifices to the monster. King Aegeus tried to make him stay and change his mind about the minotaur. On his way, he met Princess Ariadne, and had promise to make her queen of Athens. She helped him find his way to the Labyrinth to kill the Minotaur. At the end of his journey he dropped off Ariadne at Naxos Island.

Theseus

Allusions: Hunger Games◦ Katniss volunteers to sacrificed herself for her family/ Theseus volunteers to

sacrifices himself for his country

Allusions: Harry Potter◦ Harry Potter had a profound realization of being a wizard later on in

life/Theseus didn’t know he was King Aegeus’s son until later on in life◦ Harry Potter sacrificed himself for others multiple times/ Theseus sacrificed

himself going to Athens to kill the minotaur◦ Harry defeated Voldemort /Theseus defeated the minotaur

Important events:◦ Theseus going to the Labyrinth and slaying the minotaur.◦ Sailing to the Athens and coming back alive not changing the sails.◦ Becoming king of Athens.◦ Marrying Phaedra◦ Driving Centaurs out the country◦ Leading an army against Thebes◦ Death of King Aegeus

Theseus

Theseus

This symbol symbolizes Theseus going into the Labyrinth and killing the Labyrinth.

Lineage: (Parents) Mother- Pasiphae(she had powers of witchcraft), Stepdad- King Minos of Krete , As a punishment, Poseidon caused the king's wife to fall in love with the kings finest white bull. 

Power: Strength, he is vastly strong and this is the reason why he is placed in the Labyrinth.

Weakness: The Minotaur’s weakness is being trapped in the Labyrinth, because he couldn’t escape when Theseus cam to kill him.

Identification: Half man and half bull created by Poseidon and Pasiphae (King Minos’s wife).

Description: The minotaur was a half man and half bull named Asterious. and lived in a Labyrinth; which was created by Deadalous Minoan Palace of Knossos and fed on human flesh.

Important Events: The minotaur placed into Labyrinth and Theseus kills the minotaur.

Allusions: ◦ Minotaur Watching a Sleeping Girl by Pablo Picasso.◦ House of Leaves by Mark Danielweski, in the book, there is a

huge Labyrinth in which they get lost in. Also, the man is given a ball of string given by his wife to take intot he Labyrinth.

◦ Minotaur’s song by The incredible string band.*Labyrinth- a large maze that once one is in he or she will be

aimlessly lost in it's many tunnels.

The Minotaur

The symbol represents the Labyrinth. The Minotaur was said to inhabit a labyrinth, a maze in which the Minotaur was kept and away from others.

Minotaur

During a wrestling match, Theseus killed Cercyon the Arcadian.

At the age of 16, Theseus raised a boulder and took the sword and sandals under it and wore it since.

The Minotaur’s favorite food is human. A Minotaur is a half human/half bull.

Fun Facts:

There many of centaurs, but the main and most popular one is Chiron. Lineage: (Parents) His Father was Titan Kronas and his mother was Nymph Philyra.

(Siblings)He had a half-brother named Zeus (God of gods). (Spouse)His wife was Nymph Charido.

Power: Speed of a horse, skills of a warrior, and intelligence. Weakness: The centaurs were violent and uncivilized. Chiron was so patient, it lead

to consequences. Identification: Chiron was half horse/half human Description: The centaurs were known as drunken, lustful, and violent creatures,

but Chiron was the wisest and the most patient one. Chiron was the most known Centaur and was immortal. While treating one of the centaurs, Chiron had picked up a poisonous arrow and had to suffer with the pain. The centaurs came to the wedding of Pirithous and got drunk and seized the women. Theseus came in and struck the centaurs which lead to a battle insulting in the centaurs leaving the country.

Physical Description: Half-horse/Half men with face and chest of a man, but body of a horse.

Important Events:◦ 6th Century: Chiron took Solon under his care and would grow up to become the

Chief magistrate of Athens.◦ Wedding of Pirithous: They get drunk and seized women.◦ Battle of Lapiths: Centaurs got driven out of the country.

Allusions: Centaur in Percy Jackson. In the movie Lightning Thief, Chiron was the activities director in camp half-blood. Also, in the Sea of monsters, the Centaurs fight Luke's army and Percy and his friends escape the ship.

Fun Facts:◦ Chiron Is the wisest centaur.◦ They have an extremely long lifespan.◦ Centaurs are also part of the Hercules family.

Centaur

Centaur

The symbol represents a bow and arrow, meaning constellation of Sagittarius” which is centaur.

Lineage: (Parents)Father- King Minos; King of Crete,Mother- Pasiphae; daughter of the sun-god Helios, (Spouse) Husband-Dionysus ;God of fertility and vegetation (Siblings) Phaedra, Catseus, Deaucalion, Glaucus, and Androgeus. (Children) Oenopion & Staphylus

Weakness: Theseus, Ariadne was madly in love with him and she gave him everything she could, but Theseus left her on the Island heartbroken. He was her biggest weakness, because the promise he mad was now heartbroken and she knew that he wouldn’t come back.

Power: Internal Power of Strength. She was left on an island for a couple3 of days & for a woman to accomplish that while being heartbroken shows how strong she is.

Identification: Goddess of Labyrinth. Some say Goddess of Passion.

Description: Daughter of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae. Madly in love with Theseus There were 2 stories about what happened to Ariadne. One says that she was deserted by Theseus, she was asleep and he sailed away leaving her alone on Naxos Island, but Dionysus found her and comforted her. The other one says that she was extremely sick and Theseus left her on the Island to recover, because he had to do some urgent work, but violent winds held him back from early to the island & Ariadne died. They say that Eros shot her in the heart to fall in love with Dionysus, but she never noticed him until he held out his hand to her. She later dies, because she is mortal unlike Dionysus.

Ariadne

Important Events: ◦ Escaping with Theseus to kill minotaur◦ Being left on Naxos Island alone by Theseus ◦ Marrying Dionysus◦ Death because of mortality

Allusion: Ariadne in the movie Inception; Played by Ellen Page. Ellen Page provides a tool to kill the minotaur/ Ariadne gives Theseus a ball of thread to kill the minotaur .

Fun Facts:◦ Her name means “most holy”◦ Dionysus gifted her with a crown and had nine jewels◦ When she died, turned into stars they made a circle of stars

called the constellation corona so she was never forgotten◦ Her item weapon was a ball of string

Ariadne

Ariadne

This symbol represents Ariadne most important weapon and helped Theseus into the Labyrinth, her ball of string.