Summary of Theseus' Journey

Theseus was the son of Aegeus, the Athenian king. Aegeus left Theseus when Theseus was only a boy. Aegeus placed a hollow sword and a pair of shoes underneath a large stone. Aegeus told his wife that when Theseus grows older and Theseus is able to lift the stone and retrieve the items, he may go to Athens and claim him as his father. Theseus grew up and he was much stronger than the others, and his mom took him to the stone and he lifted it with no problem. Aegeus’s wife told Theseus it was time for him to find his father. Theseus did not go on the ship, until convinced that the voyage was dangerous. Theseus killed all the bandits on the way to Athens. When Theseus reached Athens, he was invited to a dinner by Aegeus, Aegeus was unaware that Theseus was his son. Aegeus feared the popularity of Theseus, so he invited him to dinner he planned on poisoning Theseus so the people did not vote Theseus as king. Before Theseus drank the poisoned drink, he drew the sword his father placed under the stone and his father hit the cup to the ground. A few years before Theseus arrived in Athens, Minos, the king of Crete, lost his only son. Minos invaded the country and captured Athens, Minos said the he would destroy the land of Athens if they did not send him seven maidens and seven children every nine years. Those people were given to the Minotaur (a monster, half human half bull, offspring of Minos and his wife). The Minotaur was given to Minos from Poseidon to sacrifice to him. Minos did not kill the bull given to him form Poseidon, but instead made a Labyrinth for him. When Theseus arrived in Athens it was time for the next choosing, Theseus offered himself to go, he wanted to kill the Minotaur he told his father that he would change the black flag on his ship to the white flag to show his success in killing the Minotaur. Ariadne, the daughter of Minos fell in love with Theseus when she first saw him, she went to a Daedalus and asked him to show her a way out of the Labyrinth. She sent for Theseus, and she told him that she would help him out of the Labyrinth if he would take her back to Athens and marry her. Theseus agreed and she gave him the hint that Daedalus have give her. The hint was to tie a ball of thread at the door he entered in and unroll it as he went on. Theseus began to look for the Minotaur, Theseus found him sleeping and jumped on top of him and punched him to death. When he arose from the Minotaur, he followed the yarn back and he found the door. The others followed him and with Ariadne, they left on the ship and went back to Athens. On the way there they stopped at an island and Ariadne was left there (different stories have different theories of how). Thesesus forgot to change the black flag to the white flag, and when they drew closer to Athens his father saw the flag was black, he thought his son died so he threw himself off of a cliff and fell into the sea and died, the sea was later called the Aegean sea. Theseus then became king, he was the wisest king but he did not want to rule over the people, he wanted a government where the people would be equal. He resigned as king and created a council hall where the people meet and vote. This made Athens the most happiest and prosperous of all cities. Theseus led the War of Seven against the Thebans, because Thebes refused to burry her enemies. Theseus was able to solve many problems just like the one above.