1. “The great Athenian Hero” Theseus and the Minotaur

2. Minotaur

3. Theseus--art

4. Heroic traits-- Miraculous birth, early threats
Disinheritance and/or powerful enemy
Quest(s) – impossible tasks requiring strength and courage, really a search for their identity
Helpers – often divine
Warrior mentality
Inability to manage women
Difficulty controlling passions
Egocentricity
Heroic traits--

5. Early beginnings. Theseus— son of Athenian King Aegeus
Raised in Southern Greece by his Mom
Aegeus (his dad) would not claim him until he was strong enough to get a sword and shoes he had hidden under a rock.
Early beginnings.

6. Retrieved the sword and shoes while still a youth
Retrieved the sword and shoes while still a youth. Then, began his journey to Athens
On the way, he killed bandits in the same method that individual had used to kill their victims. “Eye for an Eye” was his belief.
How did he become a hero?

7. Procrustes- the iron bed bandit
Procrustes was one of the bandits Theseus met on his journey..
Procrustes was known for killing his victims on an iron bed—if they were too long for the bed, he would cut off parts of their bodies. Too short? He would stretch them to fit. Gruesome.
Theseus takes him out in the same method.
Procrustes- the iron bed bandit

8. Medea—in this story, too?
Theseus returns to Athens to seek his father King Aegeus—who doesn’t know he is coming.
Medea, after Jason sent her into exhile for killing the kids, becomes an advisor to King Aegeus, Theseus’ father.
Medea knew it was the Kings son before the King did, and saw Theseus as a threat to her position as the king’s son.
Medea—in this story, too?

9. Medea persuades the King to poison Theseus, but Theseus identifies himself by showing Aegeus the sword he had left him before drinking the poison in the cup.
Aegeus knocks the cup out of Theseus’ hand, saves his son’s life
Medea flees the city….
The evil plan…

10. The Minotaur—what/where
Minotaur=1/2 man/ ½ monster, born to the wife of Minos of Crete and King Minos.
Labyrinth=maze, build by Daedalus, the master inventor, to keep the Minotaur prisoner.
Every 9 yrs, the Athenian people had to send 7 young men and 7 young women to Crete for the Minotaur to eat. King Minos demanded their deaths to avenge the death of his only son, years earlier.
The Minotaur—what/where

11. The quest—kill the minotaur
The son died when his dad King Minos sent him to kill a dangerous bull.
Minos threatened to destroy Athens unless the 14 young people were sacrificed every 9 years.
Theseus learned of this and volunteered to be sacrificed.
The quest—kill the minotaur

12. Helpers? You bet. Kill the minotaur—check.
Ariadne, Minos’ daughter, helped Theseus
Theseus uses a ball of thread to track his path into the labyrinth.
Kills the minotaur with his BARE HANDS!
Saves the young people who were to be sacrificed…that is heroic!
Uses his brain—and strength to overcome this great obstacle.
Helpers? You bet. Kill the minotaur—check.

13. What happened to Ariadne?
Ariadne sails away with Theseus toward Greece, but never arrives.
One story says he abandoned her on the island of Naxos—what a jerk!
Another story says she dies of an illness on the island of Naxos.
What happened to Ariadne?

14. Upon returning to Athens, Theseus forgot to hoist the white sail to let his father know he was alive.
King Aegeus—his father, commits suicide by throwing himself into the sea—thinking his son was dead.
The sea is now called the Aegean Sea.
How did his father die?

15. Creator of Democracy and early senate
Theseus was known for creating democracy—a people’s government with a council hall where citizens came together to vote.
He resigned as King and gave himself the title “Commander in Chief”
Creator of Democracy and early senate

16. Theseus’ weaknesses… His love of adventure was a weakness.
For the sake of adventure and excitement, he helped his friend Pirithous kidnap Persephone from the underworld.
Hades stopped them by seating them in the “chair of forgetfulness”
Later, Hercules made the trip to the underworld and frees Theseus, but not Pirithous.
Theseus’ weaknesses…

17. Tragedy of Phaedra, Theseus, and Hippolytus
Theseus’ first wife was the Amazon Antiope— they have the child Hippolytus.
In later years he marries Ariadne’s sister, Phaedra.
When Theseus took Phaedra home, Hippolytus and Phaedra did not get along.
Hippolytus angered Aphrodite and she made Phaedra, his father’s wife, fall in love with him.
Phaedra kills herself rather than succumb to the feeling Aphrodite sent upon her.
Tragedy of Phaedra, Theseus, and Hippolytus

18. Phaedra left a suicide note saying Theseus’ son Hippolyus had raped her— which wasn’t true.
Hippolytus denies this, but Theseus didn’t believe him.
Theseus banished his son Hippolytus
Hippolytus dies driving his chariot along a road by the sea—a monster came up and he lost control of his chariot and its horses.
Hippolytus dies.

19. Artemis tells Theseus what the truth was—Phaedra’s note was false and Aphrodite was behind the whole thing.
It was too late to save Hippolytus.
Theseus dies in disgrace
Dark ending.

20. With a partner, list 3-4 things for each side on a sheet of paper:
Theseus--Feats of Strength and Courage:
Theseus--Feats of intelligence:
With a partner, list 3-4 things for each side on a sheet of paper:

21. Each person today faces their own “labyrinth”--What are modern-day problems or fears that are “labyrinths” that people face in our daily lives?
With your partner, list 5-10 on the same paper.
Modern day labyrinths