Theseus (mythology)
Theseus is a prominent figure in Greek mythology, recognized as the King of Athens and a foundational hero who helped unify the city-state. He was born in Troezen to Aethra and Aegeus, with some accounts suggesting that Poseidon may also be his father. Celebrated for his bravery and intellect, Theseus undertook numerous epic adventures, including the famed "Six Labors," and is best known for slaying the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull creature residing in a labyrinth. His narrative intertwines themes of heroism and governance, as he is hailed for promoting democracy and transferring royal powers to the people.
Theseus's relationships are complex, including his marriage to Hippolyta, an Amazon princess, and his tragic connection with Phaedra, leading to personal downfall. His legacy has been explored by various ancient writers, including Ovid and Plutarch, and continued to inspire countless works in literature and art throughout history. Despite his heroic status, Theseus's story is marked by contradictions and moral ambiguities, making him a multifaceted character within mythological traditions.
Theseus (mythology)
God or goddess information
- Symbol: Staff
- Country or culture: Ancient Greek
- Mother: Aethra
- Father: Aegeus (possibly Poseidon)
- Children: Melanippus; Hippolytus; Demophon; Acamas
In Greek mythology, Theseus was the King of Athens, a founder-hero who unified the city-state and gave the Athenians their identity. Born in the town of Troezen, his mother was Aethra, daughter of the king of Troezen. His father was Aegeus, although he was rumored to be the son of the sea god Poseidon, whom his mother had visited while the drunken Aegeus slept. Theseus admired the heroic champion Heracles and like him embarked on many epic adventures. The "Six Labors" of Theseus and his slaying of the Minotaur achieved immortal fame for the young hero. His story was recounted by many ancient writers, most notably the Roman poet Ovid, in Metamorphoses (first century CE), and the biographer Plutarch, in Lives (second century CE), and aspects of his legend were explored by Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca, Apollodorus, and Hyginus. He was respected as commander of the Athenian army and beloved as a king, gifted with all the characteristics of a legendary hero: strength, courage, wisdom, and the ability to think on his feet. Furthermore, by transferring many of his royal powers to the populace, he was also hailed as a champion of democracy as well as an enduring symbol of heroism and just leadership.
In Mythology
Before Theseus's birth, Aegeus buried his sword and sandals under a boulder before departing for Athens. Aethra was told to instruct her son to retrieve these tokens when he came of age, as proof of his royal birth. The adolescent Theseus recovered them and was ordered to go to Athens. Although six entrances to the Underworld lay along the route, each with its attendant peril, Theseus insisted on travelling by land. He defeated each evil doer by delivering poetic justice: turning their methods against them. In this way, he outwitted the club-wielding bandit Periphetes, the tree-bending robber Sinis, the menacing Crommyonian Sow; the giant Sciron; and the murderous wrestler Cercyon, before finally chopping off the legs and head of Procrustes, known for literally cutting visitors down to size in order to fit his bed. Acclaimed as a hero in Athens, Theseus found Aegeus now married to the sorceress Medea. Mistrusting Theseus's intentions, Medea begged him to capture the monstrous Marathonian Bull as an underhanded means of being rid of him. When Theseus brought the bull back to Athens as a sacrifice, Medea tried to have him poisoned, but—just in time—Aegeus recognized his sword and claimed Theseus as his heir. With Medea gone, Aegeus and Theseus lived on in Athens.
A new challenge soon arose. To avenge his son's death in Athens, King Minos of Crete required that seven Athenian youths, and seven maidens, be sent every seven years to feed the Minotaur—a half-man, half-bull monster living in a labyrinth beneath his palace. Theseus heroically offered to slay the beast; his father agreed, provided that, on returning, his ship's black sails were exchanged for white ones to signal his success. On the night of Theseus's arrival, Minos's daughter Ariadne promised to help him kill the Minotaur, on the condition that he marry her. She gave him a ball of thread and instructions on how to negotiate the maze. The following day, Theseus led the victims to the center of the labyrinth, laying a trail of thread. Having roused the beast, he then beheaded it. On the voyage back, forbidden by the god Dionysus from marrying Ariadne, Theseus abandoned her on an island, in his distress forgetting to change the black sails to white. Grief-stricken, Aegeus threw himself into the sea. Theseus had now to contend for the Athenian throne. His rival, Pallas, had plotted to have him assassinated in an ambush, but Theseus foiled the plan, killed Pallas, and became king.
On one of his travels, Theseus married the Amazon Hippolyta and had a son, Hippolytus. Years later he cast her aside to wed Phaedra (the sister of Ariadne). Phaedra fell disastrously in love with her stepson, Hippolytus, and the king's fortunes began declining. Theseus fell out of favour in Athens, and he was eventually killed by Lycomedes on the island of Skyros. However, many generations afterwards, the mythic king's purported remains were identified there by the Athenian military hero Cimon and brought back to Athens to be reburied with honor.
Helen
Origins & Cults
In Greek mythic thought, the valiant struggles and victories of Theseus symbolized his efforts as a bringer of unity to the Athenian city-state. As such, he was accorded the status of a hero—although his legend is not free of anomalies. The ambivalence over his parentage is significant. As the offspring of a mortal mother and an immortal father, he would be a demigod, boasting superhuman powers but vulnerable to human follies. A number of ancient writers, digressing from the main thread of his story, chose to interpret Theseus in this way. His relations with females were problematic. Having killed the robber Sinis, Theseus impregnated his daughter. Before his marriages—first to Hippolyta and then Phaedra—the young Theseus and his comrade Pirithous had singled out divine brides. For himself, Theseus abducted Helen of Sparta, then a child, and left her with his mother. In the Underworld, stalking Pirithous's choice, Persephone, Theseus and Pirithous were captured by the Furies, wrathful spirits of vengeance. Theseus was eventually freed by Heracles and allowed to return, alone, to Athens—but only after he had confessed his guilt to Persephone. These psychological depths, not common in mythic heroes, captured the attention of many later writers. Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343–1400) and William Shakespeare (1564–1616; in both A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Two Noble Kinsmen) were among them. Despite these complexities, however, Theseus's many depictions in art throughout the ages overwhelmingly focused on his prowess—usually in his clash with the Minotaur—and the heroic reputation which it earned him.
Bibliography
Barringer, Judith M. Art, Myth and Ritual in Classical Greece. Cambridge UP, 2008.
Davis, Graeme. Theseus and the Minotaur. Bloomsbury, 2014.
Mills, Sophie. Theseus, Tragedy, and the Athenian Empire. Oxford UP, 1997.
Turner, Susanne. "Who's the Daddy? Contesting and Constructing Theseus' Paternity in Fifth-Century Athens." Foundation Myths in Ancient Societies, edited by Naoíse Mac Sweeney, U of Pennsylvania P, 2015, pp. 71–102.
Walker, Henry J. Theseus and Athens. Oxford UP, 1995.
Waterfield, Robin. The Greek Myths: Stories of the Greek Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold. New international edition, Quercus, 2016.