Theseus
Theseus was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages.
Theseus is sometimes described as the son of Aegeus, king of Athens,and sometimes as the son of the god Poseidon. He is raised by his mother, Aethra, and upon discovering his connection to Aegeus, travels overland to Athens, having many adventures on the way. When he reaches Athens, he finds that Aegeus is married to Medea (formerly wife of Jason), who plots against him.
The most famous legend about Theseus is his slaying of the Minotaur, half man and half bull. He then goes on to unite Attica under Athenian rule: the synoikismos ('dwelling together'). As the unifying king, he is credited with building a palace on the fortress of the Acropolis. Pausanias reports that after synoikismos, Theseus established a cult of Aphrodite ('Aphrodite of all the People') on the southern slope of the Acropolis.
Theseus Stamp Collection
Cyprus 1989 Portrait of Crete, 4th cent. A.D. Personification. Mosaic of Paphos. In the Villa of Theseus
The whole mosaic
On the right above the Portrait of Crete
Cyprus 1982 Theseus fighting the minotaurus. Mosaic from Paphos 2nd cent AD. In the Villa of Theseus
King Minos had waged war with the Athenians and was successful. He then demanded that, at nine-year intervals, seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls were to be sent to Crete to be devoured by the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull monster that lived in the Labyrinth created by Daedalus.
On the third occasion, Theseus volunteered to talk to the monster to stop this horror. He took the place of one of the youths and set off with a black sail, promising to his father, Aegeus, that if successful he would return with a white sail. Like the others, Theseus was stripped of his weapons when they sailed. On his arrival in Crete, Ariadne, King Minos' daughter, fell in love with Theseus and, on the advice of Daedalus, gave him a ball of thread (a clew), so he could find his way out of the Labyrinth. That night, Ariadne escorted Theseus to the Labyrinth, and Theseus promised that if he returned from the Labyrinth he would take Ariadne with him. As soon as Theseus entered the Labyrinth, he tied one end of the ball of string to the doorpost and brandished his sword which he had kept hidden from the guards inside his tunic. Theseus followed Daedalus' instructions given to Ariadne: go forwards, always down, and never left or right. Theseus came to the heart of the Labyrinth and upon the sleeping Minotaur. The beast awoke and a tremendous fight occurred. Theseus overpowered the Minotaur with his strength and stabbed the beast in the throat with his sword (according to one scholium on Pindar's Fifth Nemean Ode, Theseus strangled it).
Greece 2009 Theseus fighting the minotaurus
Greece 1959 A coin from Crete. Apollo/labyrinth 3rd cen BC.
Nevis 1991 The Feast of Achelous
Rubens and Brueghel collaborated on several mythological and religious pictures that showcased their respective skills. In this panel, Rubens designed and painted the figures and Brueghel painted everything else, revealing his gifts as a landscape and still-life painter. Here, the river god Acheloüs explains to the Greek hero Theseus that his former lover Perimele has been transformed into a distant island by Neptune so that she could remain forever within the river’s embrace. The artists combined classical learning, nudes based partly on ancient sculpture, the wonders of nature, and the mastery of craft into an encyclopedic display meant for a sophisticated collector.
Liechtenstein 2010 Ariadne gives Theseus the thread from liechtenstein museum in vienna ceiling frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayer (1654-1730)
