Concept in Definition ABC

The Minotaur was one of the figures most important mythological tradition Greek. His description indicates that he was a being with the body of a man and the head of a bull, while his story tells us that he was relegated to caring for the Labyrinth on the island of Crete, a labyrinth to which groups of individuals regularly arrived who, not finding their way out, were devoured for him. The Minotaur takes its name from the expression "bull of Minos", being Minos one of the kings of the island and who gave name to the Minoan culture that inhabited it before the arrival of the Greeks.

According to mythological legend, the Minotaur emerges as a punishment to the King Minos of Crete. By having this promised to the god Poseidon to sacrifice a bull in his honor in exchange for protection against the attack of possible invaders and not keeping the promise for the beauty that such a bull possessed, the sea god made Minos's wife, Pasiphae, fall in love with the animal

and had a love affair with him. From this encounter the Minotaur would be born, a monster half man and half bull. The Minotaur would be confined to a specially constructed labyrinth not only as a show of disdain for King Minos, but primarily to contain his growing savagery.

The Labyrinth of Minos was located near the Palace of Knossos where the king resided with his court. To keep it within this space, groups of Athenians dominated by the civilization Minoans were regularly sent to this territory under the slogan that whoever could get out of the labyrinth was free. Whoever won't make it, would inevitably be eaten by the beast. It was not until the appearance of Theseus, son of Poseidon, that such a situation would not be reversed. To ensure victory, Theseus received from his beloved, Ariadna, a thread that allowed him to make the journey knowing that he would have the way back in his hands. In a tough and very fierce confrontation, Theseus was able to heroically kill the Minotaur and find the exit to the labyrinth, thus transforming himself into one of the Athenian heroes.

Themes in Minotaur