THĒSEUS IN CRĒTĀ

Neptūnus, deus maris, album taurum pulchrum Mīnōī dōnāverat ut sibi sacrificārētur; taurus autem erat tam pulcher ut Mīnōs ipse taurum cōnservāret.

Neptūnus fēcit ut Pasiphaē, coniūnx Mīnōis, taurum amāret; adultera lignō, ā Daedalō cōnstructō, taurum dēcēperat ut fētum discordem uterō ferret.

Dum Mīnōs bellum gerit, opprobrium generis crēverat et adulterium foedum rēgīnae mōnstrō biformī patēbat.

Daedalus sub rēgiā labyrinthum cōnstrūxit quī lūmina in errōrem variārum viārum multīs flexibus dūceret.

Nōn aliter Maeandrus in agrīs Phrygiīs lūdit et ambiguō lāpsū fluit et refluit ; occurrēns sibi, aquās incertās nunc ad fontēs, nunc ad mare apertum dūcit.

Thēseus, quī ad Crētam cum iuvenibus sorte lēctīs, nāvigāverat, ānulum ā Mīnōe in mare iactum ā manū Nēreī recēpit.

Ariadna, fīlia Mīnōis, Thēseō fīlum gladiumque dedit Ariadna, fīlia Mīnōis, Thēseō fīlum gladiumque dedit. Dīxit oportēre Thēseum ligāre in postem iānuae fīlum quod ēvolūtūrus esset dum Mīnōtaurō appropinquet.

Auxiliō virginis, Thēseus, postquam mōnstrum interfēcit, iānuam difficilem iterum invēnit et omnēs amīcōs ēdūxit. Rēbus gestīs Thēseus ā Crētā cum sociīs fīliāque rēgis nāvigāvit.

Dīcunt Thēseum, aut volēntem aut subitā tempestāte ablātum, Ariadnam in īnsulā Diā relīquisse.

Dēsertae virginī multa querentī Bacchus amōrem opemque tulit Dēsertae virginī multa querentī Bacchus amōrem opemque tulit. Ariadna facta est coniūnx et sacerdōs Dionӯsī.

Text reprinted from Latin Via Ovid, A First Course, Second Edition by Norma Goldman and Jacob E. Nyenhuis, copyright © 1982 Wayne State University Press, with the permission of Wayne State University Press.