King Minos required tribute from Athens in the form of young men and women to be sacrificed to the Minotaur.
Theseus, the son of Athenian King Aegisthus, volunteered to accompany one of these groups of victims to deliver his country from the tribute to Minos. Ariadne fell in love with
Theseus and gave him a thread which he let unwind through the
Labyrinth so that he was able to kill the Minotaur and find his way back out again.
Taking Ariadne with them, Theseus and his companions fled over the seas toward Athens. On the way they stopped at the island of
Naxos. According to one legend, Theseus deserted Ariadne, sailing without her while she was asleep on the island; the god Dionysus found her and comforted her.
According to another legend, Theseus set Ariadne ashore to recover from seasickness while he returned to the ship to do some necessary work. A strong wind then carried him out to sea. When he was finally able to return, he found that Ariadne had died.
The information on this page is taken from books published by D and I Mathioulakis, Athens, Greece.
View pictures from the Palace of Knossos.
