Theseus [Greek Mythology] what is his story & about his life...?

[xolailaxo]

What is the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, and can you give me some more info on him and his life and acomplishments :] Doesn't have to be too long, I just want to learn alittle more about him. Thanks <3

[Daewen]

Plutarch did a Life of Theseus in his writings which covered all the bases. It makes a good read if you're really interested. There are some different versions out there though, but basically, Theseus volunteered to go with the seven young men and seven young women from Athens which were pledged to King Minos of Crete. Legend has it he fed them to a minotaur which lived in a large, inescapable maze. Theseus, while he was awaiting his turn to enter the maze, discovered that the king's daughter had fallen in love with him. She gave him a sword and a ball of thread so that he could unroll the thread and find his way back again after killing the minotaur (which is half-bull, half-man, btw). He then escaped with the other prisoners and brought the king's daughter with him, but accidentally left her on an island. Theseus became the first king of Athens (before then there were just scattered villages/cities, but he united them) and was known for his inability to control his lust. Legend also has it that he kidnapped Helen of Troy when she was just a girl, but he was forced to give her back.

Hope that helps a bit!

[Invisigoth]

These 2 sites say it best

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theseus

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/theseus.html

[Rachelle_of_Shangri_La]

Theseus was the son of the king of Athens, Aegeus and Aethra. He had been educated by his grandfather, Pittheus at Troezen, and at age sixteen, he dedicated his forelocks to the Delian Apollo. His father Aegeus was childless and when he consulted the oracle at Delphi, he received an obscure reply and in order to interpret it, he visited Pittheus, the king of Troezen, famous for his wisdom. Pittheus made him drunk and put him to sleep with his daughter, Aethra, which became pregnant after that. When Aegeus departed, he left behind a sword and a pair of sandals, under a rock and told Aethra, that if the child was a boy and reached manhood to lift the rock, take the sword and the sandals and come to Athens.

When Theseus reached the age of sixteen, his mother led him to the rock, which he lifted with ease, took his father presents and set out to meet him. When Theseus arrived at Athens, Medeia, the wife of Aegeus, suspecting who was, she persuaded Aegeus to invite him to a banquet, intending to kill him with poison. His father however recognized him in time, from the sword he was wearing and banished Medeia and her son, to Asia. During his way to Athens, he had a series of adventures, all of them victorious. At that time, many bandits were killing and terrorizing the travelers.
Read more at http://www.sikyon.com/Athens/Theseus/theseus_eg01.html