Minotaur's Labyrinth
creatureThe Minotaur was a creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull, born from Pasiphaë's unnatural union with the Cretan Bull, imprisoned in the Labyrinth.
The Myth
The labyrinth beneath Knossos was built by Daedalus, the master craftsman of Athens, on the orders of King Minos of Crete. Poseidon had sent Minos a magnificent bull from the sea; when Minos refused to sacrifice it, Poseidon cursed his wife Pasiphaë with unnatural desire for the beast. Daedalus constructed a wooden cow so Pasiphaë could mate with the bull, producing the Minotaur — half man, half bull. To conceal this monster, Minos ordered Daedalus to build the labyrinth, a structure so complex that no one who entered could find their way out. Athens was forced to send seven youths and seven maidens as tribute until Theseus, guided by Ariadne's thread, slew the Minotaur and escaped.
Parents
Pasiphaë and the Cretan Bull
Fun Fact
Jorge Luis Borges' short story "The House of Asterion" retells the myth from the Minotaur's perspective — lonely, confused, waiting for his "redeemer."
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Minotaur
creatureA monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull, imprisoned in the Labyrinth beneath Crete....
Cretan Bull
creatureThe magnificent bull sent by Poseidon to Minos that became the father of the Minotaur, later...
Daedalus
heroThe greatest inventor and craftsman of Greek mythology. Daedalus built the Labyrinth, crafted wings...
Minos
heroMinos was the legendary king of Crete who ruled the first great maritime empire, commissioned the...
Pasiphaë
heroPasiphaë was the queen of Crete whom Poseidon cursed with an unnatural desire for a bull — the...
Crete
placeCrete was the largest Greek island and the seat of the Minoan civilisation, home to King Minos, the...
Ariadne
heroDaughter of King Minos who fell in love with Theseus and gave him the thread that allowed him to...
Athens
placeAthens was the city sacred to Athena, birthplace of democracy, philosophy, drama, and Western...
Daedalus (Inventions)
heroThe legendary master craftsman of Athens and Crete who created the Labyrinth, artificial wings, and...
Knossos
placeKnossos was the vast Bronze Age palace complex in Crete — seat of King Minos and the mythological...
Labyrinth
placeAn impossibly complex maze built beneath the palace of Knossos on Crete by the master craftsman...
Labyrinth (Concept)
conceptThe Labyrinth was the maze built by Daedalus beneath Knossos to contain the Minotaur — its name...