He was the son of the King, he was brave and he was stubborn. He was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus. (Paragraph 15), D. “Standing behind the king, listening, was his daughter, Ariadne.” Theseus and the Minotaur. Myths often portrayed brave heroes and vicious monsters. How did Theseus kill the Minotaur if Theseus was already on his last breathe of air and the Minotaur was on his chest? And in despair, he flung himself from the cliff into the raging waters below. She watched it until she could no longer look off on the bright water because of the tears in her eyes, and then she heard strange music, a sound of tambourines and pipes, a lyre, and the clash of cymbals. Simply click download to access an online, interactive 15-page eBook. Each page features a large, full-colour illustration and up to a paragraph of text. From Vulci. F. L. Lucas's epic poem Ariadne (1932) is an epic reworking of the Labyrinth myth: Aegle, one of the sacrificial maidens who accompany Theseus to Crete, is Theseus's sweetheart, the Minotaur is Minos himself in a bull-mask, and Ariadne, learning on Naxos of Theseus's earlier love for Aegle, decides to leave him for the Ideal [Dionysus]. Enthrall and engage your children with the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. If they didn't come in then he would start war with them. “Theseus walked carefully through the dark, foul-smelling passages of the labyrinth, expecting at any moment to come face-to-face with the creature.” Hardly even a snack for the mighty creature within the labyrinth. But before he can try, the king of Crete, Minos, claims one of the young girls for his own and only if Theseus finds the ring that Minos has thrown into the sea, can he save the young woman. Standing behind the king, listening, was his daughter, Ariadne. Try as he might, his father could not persuade him to change his mind. Standing behind the king, listening, was his daughter, Ariadne. Name: ___________________________Class: _______________________________________, "Antoine-Louis Barye’s ‘Theseus Slaying The Minotaur’" by Timothy Vogel, Theseus and the Minotaur By E2BN.org - 2006. They became prey of the Minotaur in the labyrinth, and Athens escaped further sanctions through their obedience. 2. I think Ariadne is using Theseus to help her father. Cite evidence from the text in your response. We get the word “meander” in English from this river. What do we, as readers, learn from this myth about power? The hero follows the trail of string out of the Labyrinth, rounds up the other Athenian youths, grabs the Princess Ariadne, and makes a run for his ship. “To think that I am free of my cruel father and that I will soon be married to a great prince.”. What color sail does King Aegeus give Theseus? Cite evidence from the text in your response. Before going on board, Theseus asked the daughters of King Minos to come with all of them back to Athens with him. It has wonderful illustrations and is written in a easy-to-understand text format. Full-color... Free shipping over $10. When he landed on the hard cold stone, he felt the animal’s huge hooves come down on his chest.” Theseus, who is the prince of Athens, decides he will go and try to kill the Minotaur. On the day appointed, the six other young men and the seven young women were chosen at random, and everything was made ready for sailing. A. It establishes King Minos as Theseus’ central challenge in the labyrinth, setting up the king’s battle with Theseus. Not far away lived another robber, Procrustes, who used to pretend to entertain strangers at his hotel of sorts. “And they do not return because they do not go to Crete as slaves. King Minos told the prince that if he could perform this task, he and all his friends might go free and that nothing more should ever be said about the tribute. Why? The death of the Minotaur finally came from the Greek hero Theseus, son of Aegeus, king of Athens, with the help of Minos’s daughter, Ariadne, who fell in love with Theseus. At last, she felt the string of yarn tighten, and in a moment more out Theseus came, saying that he had killed the Minotaur. So, when their ship docked at an island on their way home, to collect fresh water, Theseus sent Ariadne off to find bread and fruit. However, there was the boat dancing on the waves, almost out of sight. Theseus and the Minotaur. Your task is to correct the spellings and grammar. What did Medea do to try to get rid of Theseus, and why did she want to get rid of him? The creature’s neck snapped, it gurgled its last breath and fell to the floor with an enormous thud. Then, telling King Aegeus that the young stranger was a traitor, and had plotted to murder him, she convinced him to hand this cup to Theseus when he presented himself at the throne. “My son has failed and he is dead,” he cried. Now, you might think that this was a bad way to reward someone who had helped him and had saved him from certain death. When starting out on such a sad voyage, it seemed fitting that the ship which carried the children of the tribute should have black sails. No one who entered the labyrinth had ever been known to come out again. At that time the country between Troezen and Athens was wild and rocky, and behind many of the rocks lurked giants and robbers, ready to jump out and attack lonely travelers; but by sea, the way was much safer. It was the only way they could stop him going to war with them. PART A: What does the word “tyrant” most closely mean as it is used in paragraph 7? There never was another labyrinth half so complicated as this one, which was made by the famous Daedalus. Hardly even a snack for the mighty creature within the labyrinth. The young people that it carried were very sad, for they never expected to see the sunny shores of Greece again, at least none of them but Theseus. Overview. “Even if you kill the Minotaur, you will never find your way out again.”. The aged king then said his goodbyes, telling Theseus, “From the top of that rock I shall watch every day for your return.” Then the black-sailed ship passed slowly out of the dock. King Minos of Crete was a powerful man, feared by the rulers of the lands around him. Do you think the gods should punish him? Then, his hand brushed a piece of string and, with a whoop of delight, he knew he had found the thread which would lead him back out. Theseus and the Minotaur | Ancient Greek Mythology Stories |The Minotaur and the Labyrinth of Crete. If you are successful, take down these black sails and replace them with white ones. “I will return to you, father,” cried Theseus, as the ship left the harbor3 wall, “and you will be proud of your son.”, “Then I wish you good luck, my son,” cried his father, “I shall keep watch for you every day. Theseus persuades his father to allow him to go to Crete, with the aim of killing the Minotaur. He had not gone far among the wild rocks near Troezen before he was attacked by robbers and giants, but none of them could defeat Theseus and his father’s sword. “Theseus, take this,” she whispered. They go as food for the Minotaur.”, “Father, this is terrible,” shouted Theseus, “we cannot let this go on. Enthrall and engage your children with the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. The scandal concerning his family grew, and the queen’s unnatural adultery was evident from the birth of … It has wonderful illustrations and is written in a easy-to-understand text format. As the ship docked in Crete, King Minos himself came down to inspect the prisoners from Athens. Theseus felt all over the floor in the pitch darkness and kept thinking he had found it, only to realize that all he had was a long wiry hair from the Minotaur. He was kept in a maze of tunnels, a twisting labyrinth underneath the king’s palace. “This is the best time to attack the creature; do not wait until morning,” Ariadne whispered, and Theseus knew that she was right. (Paragraph 16). Theseus insisted that he understood the dangers but would succeed. In the struggle, he had let go of the string, his lifeline. Maybe he's really smart and will find a way. It is intriguing to again see the involvement of the gods in human affairs and the punishment they would inflict when men were not obedient to them. Aethra’s father, who was getting old and weak, thought that Theseus had better go by sea, but Theseus said, ” No! So many of these paths ended in a blank wall that Theseus often had to retrace his steps. Theseus promised and Ariadne told him to use a ball of thread. How do they decide who must be given as a sacrifice? You must be signed in to comment on a document. Use a dictionary to find the meaning of the word and use it in a sentence. Worn out with lethargy and anxiety, all the prisoners but Theseus had fallen asleep. A long time before, the oldest son of King Minos of Crete had been murdered in Athens. But the Minotaur will soon have you between its horns. In an instant, his world turned upside-down, quite literally. As for Athens, Minos demanded that every year King Aegeus of Athens send him seven young men and seven young women. Not meant as a in depth research book, but as a general book, this book is a nice treasure. Anyway, let’s get on with it. “But of course, you must come with us,” said Theseus, “it would be cruel to leave you here.”. “Married?” said Theseus, “Oh, yes, that will be... er... wonderful.” We cannot sacrifice any more of our young citizens to this tyrant. Perfect for whole-class KS2 teaching, this Theseus and the Minotaur PowerPoint features a summary of the story and the key themes to help support your teaching KS2 on the Greek Myth. In an instant, his world turned upside-down, quite literally. (Paragraph 21), D. “Theseus felt all over the floor in the pitch darkness and kept thinking he had found it, only to realize that all he had was a long wiry hair from the Minotaur.” Perfect for whole-class KS2 teaching, this Theseus and the Minotaur PowerPoint features a summary of the story and the key themes to help support your teaching KS2 on the Greek Myth. How does the author characterize Theseus in the story? “What a pity it is,” said Ariadne, “that these youths will become food for the Minotaur. A harbor is a place on the coast where ships may find shelter, 4. When he demanded goods or men for his great armies, they felt they had to agree. Myths often portrayed brave heroes and vicious monsters. That night the young Athenians were thrown into a dungeon under the palace of King Minos, one of them being destined for the Minotaur’s breakfast in the morning. Raised by his mother and tutor, young Theseus finally learns the truth of his birth: he is the son of King Aegeus, ruler of Athens. An Ancient Greek Myth As the story goes ... Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a king named Minos. And in despair, he flung himself from the cliff into the raging waters below. King Aegeus, waiting on the headland, saw the ship approaching with its black sails flying in the wind. Theseus, however, was wide awake. King Minos had a great palace built for himself. They waited a long time—they could not tell how long. At last the time came when Theseus had reached a man’s full strength and could lift the great rock. Meanwhile, Ariadne and Phaedra stood at the gate, Ariadne holding her end of the yarn. They Brought Along Spare Parts, Shaped Just Like The Old Parts And Made Out Of The Same Materials, And Made The Repairs. Theseus walked carefully through the dark, foul-smelling passages of the labyrinth, expecting at any moment to come face-to-face with the creature. The Ancient Greeks often told myths to explain how things came to be and to teach a lesson. If it weren’t for Ariadne, do you think Theseus would have been able to get out of the maze? Theseus and the Minotaur is a 1982 action game programmed by Bruce Nesmith and distributed by TSR Hobbies. It was the only way they could stop him going to war with them. “As the ship docked in Crete, King Minos himself came down to inspect the prisoners from Athens.” As the ship docked in Crete, King Minos himself came down to inspect the prisoners from Athens. That way I will know you are coming home safe to me.”. If you're interested in greek mythology and the story behind the minotaur, then this book is a nice resource. When Medea saw that her evil scheme had failed, and that Theseus was recognized by his father, she was frightened. How does the ending of the story change your opinion of Theseus’ character? When it is time to send the next tribute, I will go as one of them and I vow that it is the last time the Minotaur will be fed with the flesh of any of our people.”, 1. On this island, King Minos had a pet called a Minotaur. I am not a hard-hearted man, so I will let you choose which one goes first into the Minotaur’s den. (Twospoonfuls/ CC BY SA 4.0 ) How Did Theseus Die? It’s All Greek to Me! ‘I will return to you, father,’ cried Theseus, as the ship left the harbour wall, ‘and you will be proud of your son.’” (“Theseus and the Minotaur,” Paragraph 9) B. Compare your answers with a partner. From the moment she set eyes on Theseus, Ariadne fell in love with him. One giant named Sinis would bend down the tops of two pine trees, tie travelers to the trees, and then let them spring back again, splitting the traveler in two, catapulting them across the land. A. From that day on, the sea was named in memory of Theseus’ father, and to this day, it is known as the Aegean Sea. Didn’t Theseus have to put up the white sails not black? Guards, open the labyrinth and send him in.”. So far this series has seen authors drawing upon the original source of the legend, and weaving their own narrative threads. Theseus, Ariadne, and the other tributes then fled back to Athens. “Why do we send these young people to Crete every year?” 3. No Problem. “He enjoyed the change to taunt the Athenians and to humiliate them even further.”, C. “‘Those are brave words for one so young and so feeble.’”, D. “Standing behind the king, listening, was his daughter, Ariadne.”. does he actually mean that he doesn't fear it or is he saying it just to make him sound brave and tough? When this poor princess awoke, she could hardly believe that Theseus had really meant to desert her. When Minos reached Cretan soil he paid his dues to Jove, with the sacrifice of a hundred bulls, and hung up his war trophies to adorn the palace. As the animal grew weak, Theseus gave one almighty tug on the head, turning it almost right around. While playing in the Panathenaic Games, Androgeus was killed. What color is the sail on the boat that they are on? 1. 4. The moment she was gone, he set sail and left her on the island. 5. Why or why not? Theseus felt all over the floor in the pitch darkness and kept thinking he had found it, only to realize that all he had was a long wiry hair from the Minotaur. “‘Then I wish you good luck, my son,’ cried his father, ‘I … In paragraph 15, what does it mean that Ariadne was “fast asleep” on a rock. what if they run out of people to feed the Minotaur? Theseus end up kicking the Minotaur's rump and the beast is slain. PART B: Which quote from later in the story best supports your answer to Part A? She turned to look toward the woods behind her, from which the sounds came, and saw a chariot drawn by two panthers. It was powerful and savage2, and it loved to eat the flesh of the humans who had been shut into the labyrinth by King Minos. Search Metadata Search text contents Search TV news captions Search archived websites Advanced Search. The waters in which he threw himself into is now known as the Aegean Sea. Bellow (verb): to shout in a loud or deep voice, 9. 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