Theseus (Athenian)
heroTheseus was the great hero of Athens who slew the Minotaur, united Attica, and established Athenian democracy — Athens' answer to Heracles.
The Myth
Theseus volunteered as one of the seven youths sent to feed the Minotaur. With Ariadne's thread he navigated the labyrinth, slew the beast, and escaped. He forgot to change his ship's black sails to white, and his father Aegeus, seeing black sails, threw himself into the sea (hence the Aegean). As king, Theseus united the scattered villages of Attica into the city of Athens and (in Athenian propaganda) established its democratic institutions.
Parents
Aegeus (or Poseidon) and Aethra
Children
Hippolytus, Demophon
Symbols
Fun Fact
The Aegean Sea is named after Theseus's father — who drowned himself because of a forgotten signal.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
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...
Hippolytus
heroHippolytus was the chaste son of Theseus who rejected Aphrodite and was destroyed when his...
Minotaur
creatureA monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull, imprisoned in the Labyrinth beneath Crete....
Poseidon
godLord of the seas and brother of Zeus. Poseidon's moods shaped the oceans — calm seas for those who...
Theseus
heroThe hero who navigated the Labyrinth, slew the Minotaur, and became the legendary king of Athens....