The Story of Theseus
Theseus was the son of Aethra, a princess of Troezen, and King Aegeus of Athens, though in some tellings his father was Poseidon. Before returning to Athens, Aegeus hid a sword and a pair of sandals under a huge rock. He told Aethra that when their son could lift the rock, he should bring these tokens to Athens.
When Theseus came of age, he lifted the rock easily and set out for Athens. Instead of the safe sea route, he chose the dangerous road along the coast and cleared it of bandits. He killed Periphetes with his own club, bent Sinis between pine trees, threw Sciron off his cliff, wrestled Cercyon to death and gave Procrustes a taste of his own bed.
In Athens, the sorceress Medea, now married to Aegeus, recognized the young stranger as a threat and persuaded the king to poison him. At the last moment Aegeus saw the sword he had left under the rock and knocked the cup away. He welcomed Theseus as his son and heir, and Theseus soon proved himself again by capturing the wild bull of Marathon.
Every few years Athens had to send seven young men and seven young women to Crete to be fed to the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. Theseus volunteered to go. The Cretan princess Ariadne fell in love with him and gave him a ball of thread, which he unwound as he walked into the maze, and after killing the Minotaur he followed it back out.
Theseus sailed away with Ariadne but left her on the island of Naxos, where the god Dionysus found her and made her his wife. He had promised his father to change his black sails to white if he returned alive, but he forgot. Seeing the black sails from the cliffs, Aegeus believed his son was dead and threw himself into the sea, which has been called the Aegean ever since.
As king, Theseus was credited with uniting the villages of Attica into a single city. He fought the Amazons and took their queen, whom some call Antiope and others Hippolyta, and she bore him a son, Hippolytus. With his bold friend Pirithous he fought the centaurs, carried off the young Helen, and even went down to the underworld to kidnap Persephone, where both were trapped until Heracles rescued Theseus.
His later years were full of sorrow. His wife Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus and accused him falsely, and Theseus cursed his own son, who was killed by a monstrous bull from the sea. Driven from Athens, Theseus died on the island of Skyros, but centuries later the Athenian general Cimon brought back what were said to be his bones, and Athens honored him as its greatest hero.
Famous Myths About Theseus
The Sword Under the Rock
Before leaving Troezen, King Aegeus of Athens hid a sword and sandals beneath a huge rock and said his son should bring them to Athens once he could lift it. When Theseus came of age he rolled the rock aside with ease and set out to claim his birthright.
The Road to Athens
Rather than sail, Theseus took the dangerous land route and cleared it of bandits. Among them was Procrustes, who stretched or chopped his guests to fit his bed, and Theseus gave him a taste of his own cruelty.
Slaying the Minotaur
Athens had to send young men and women to Crete to be fed to the Minotaur, so Theseus volunteered to go. Princess Ariadne fell in love with him and gave him a ball of thread, which he unwound through the Labyrinth so he could find his way out after killing the beast.
The Black Sails
Theseus had promised his father to change his ship's black sails to white if he survived. He forgot, and when Aegeus saw the black sails approaching, he threw himself into the sea in grief, which the Greeks said is why it is called the Aegean.
Trapped in the Underworld
Theseus and his friend Pirithous went down to the Underworld to carry off Persephone as a bride. Hades invited them to sit, and they found themselves stuck fast to their seats, until Heracles later came and freed Theseus.
Theseus's Family Tree
Parents of Theseus
Wife of Theseus
Children of Theseus
Frequently Asked Questions About Theseus
Who was Theseus in Greek mythology?
Theseus was the great hero and king of Athens, famous for killing the Minotaur in the Labyrinth of Crete. Athenians credited him with uniting the towns of Attica into a single state.
Who were Theseus's parents?
Theseus was the son of Aethra, a princess of Troezen, and either King Aegeus of Athens or the god Poseidon, since both were said to have fathered him.
How did Theseus kill the Minotaur?
The Cretan princess Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread to unwind as he entered the Labyrinth. He killed the Minotaur and followed the thread back out.
Why did Aegeus throw himself into the sea?
Theseus forgot to change his ship's black sails to white on the way home from Crete, the agreed sign that he was alive. Seeing the black sails, Aegeus believed his son was dead and threw himself into the sea, which was then named the Aegean.
How did Theseus die?
Theseus lost his throne in Athens and went to the island of Scyros, where King Lycomedes pushed him off a cliff.
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