The Greek Hero Theseus

Theseus was the son of both king Aegeus oftowards Athens. Here he met Procrustes.
Athens and Poseidon. His mother was Aethra, aProcrustes was known to either stretch his
princess of Troezan near Athens. His mixedvictims to death on a special stretching device. If
paternity may seem unusual, however the ancientthey did not fit on it he would lop off feet.
Greeks believed that it was possible for a hero toTheseus stretched Procrustes to death (although
have two fathers.it is uncertain if he had to lop off his feet first)
Shortly after Aegeus married Aethra he decidedand then carried on with his journey.
to return to Athens. Aethra was instructed toWhen Theseus arrived in Athens, he kept his
keep their son with her until he was old enough toidentity a secret from his father. Aegeus had
travel to his father in Athens. Aegeus buried asome years earlier offered Medea refuge from
pair of sandals and a sword under a huge stoneCorinth. She had helped Jason retrieve the golden
and told Aethra that when Theseus could lift thefleece from her father king Aeetes in Colcis and
stone and take the items from under it, then hefled with him. They later married and settled in
would be ready to come to Athens.Corinth with their two sons. Jason decided to
When Theseus came of age he went to the rockabandon Medea and marry Glauce, a princess of
and lifted it with ease and took the sandals andCorinth.
sword from under it. Aethra explained that heMedea was furious and poisoned Glauce and her
would have to travel to Athens to meet hisfather to death. She then killed her two sons and
father. He could reach Athens by land or sea,refused to give their bodies to Jason. Shortly
however the sea faring route was the safer way,before committing these murders, Aegeus
whereas the land based route was full of dangers.happened to be passing by. He was looking for a
Theseus decided to reach Athens by land andcure to his childless marriage. Medea gave him
thus test his heroic skills.advice in return for his promise to give her a safe
The 'labours' of Theseus were known as the sixrefuge in Athens. Aegeus agreed to this and later
entrances to the underworld that were passed asMedea arrived in Athens.
he made his way to Athens.They married and all was well until Theseus
1. When Theseus reached the sanctuary ofarrived. She realised that Theseus would inherit
Epidaurus (in the Peloponnese) he met Periphetes.the throne from Aegeus and tried to poison him.
Periphetes was the son of Hephaestus and aAegeus realised who Theseus was just in time to
monstrous creature who owned a bronze clubstop him being poisoned. Medea left Athens soon
that he used to beat travellers to death with.after.
Theseus beat Periphetes, firstly with a boulderAt this time, Athens had lost a war against king
that he threw at the monster and then used theMinos of Crete. In retaliation, Minos had forced
bronze club to finished beating him to death.very unfavourable terms against the Athenians.
2. He next met the monster Siris near theEvery nine years they had to send seven youths
Isthmus (near Corinth). Siris would imprisonand seven maidens to Crete. No one knew what
unwary travellers and tie them to two trees thathappened to them so when the time came for
were bent down to the ground. He would untiethe tribute to be given, Theseus volunteered to
the tree, which would tear the unfortunate persongo in place of one of the youths.
apart. Theseus killed Siris in the same way thatWhen he arrived in Crete it became apparent that
the monster had killed his victims. Siris had athey were an offering or sacrifice to a monster
daughter called Perigune who was raped afterknown as the Minotaur. This monster had the
Theseus had killed Siris.head of a bull and the body of a man. It was said
3. The next monster Theseus came across wasthat the Minotaur was the offspring of king Minos'
known as the Crommyon Sow. This was anqueen and a bull that was a gift from the king of
enormous pig that may have been the offspringthe sea, Poseidon. Minos offended Poseidon, so
of another monster known as the Typhon.instead of taking the gift back, he decreed that
Theseus killed the pig and continued with hisMinos' wife should fall in love with the bull and
journey.procreate with it. Minos was so ashamed of his
4. Theseus reached Megara and met the robberwife's actions that when the Minotaur was born,
Sciron. Sciron would lure people to a cliff edge andhe imprisoned it in a huge maze or labyrinth to
throw them off when they were off guard. Hekeep the world from knowing about his wife's
did this so that a giant turtle or sea monsterguilt.
would be regularly fed.Minos' daughter, Ariadne fell in love with Theseus
5. When Theseus reached the mystery shrine ofand helped him to kill the Minotaur. She fled with
Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis he met kinghim and expected him to repay her by becoming
Cercyon. King Cercyon would challenge travellersher husband. Instead, Theseus abandoned her on
to a wrestling match and then beat them tothe island of Naxos as she slept.
death. He needed to do this in order to stay alive.When he returned to Athens he forgot to
Anyone who beat Cercyon would need to do theexchange the black sail of his ship for a white
same. Theseus beat Ceryon to death and thenone, which led Aegeus to believe that Theseus
refused to follow this rite, thus ending thewas dead. Aegeus threw himself into the sea in
bloodshed.despair and died.
6. Theseus then made his way from Eleusis