PG-1115

2017

Other

The Minotaur, also known as Asterius, is a monstrous figure from Greek mythology. Born from the unnatural union of Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos of Crete, and a magnificent white bull, he possessed the body of a man and the head of a bull.

King Minos, ashamed of the creature's existence, commissioned the architect Daedalus to construct a massive labyrinth beneath his palace at Knossos. The Minotaur was confined within this intricate maze, where escape was virtually impossible.

To appease the Minotaur's insatiable hunger, Minos demanded a periodic tribute of young Athenians, typically seven youths and seven maidens, to be sacrificed as food. This practice continued until the hero Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens, volunteered to enter the labyrinth.

With the aid of Ariadne, Minos's daughter, who provided him with a ball of thread to navigate the maze, Theseus confronted and ultimately slayed the Minotaur, ending the cruel tribute and freeing Athens from its obligation.