Theseus

Theseus is a legendary figure in Greek mythology, celebrated as a king of Athens and a founding hero of the city. In most traditions he is the son of Aegeus, the king of Athens, though some accounts name Poseidon as his father. He is associated with the unification of Attica and with a series of adventures that shaped Athenian identity.

According to popular lore, Theseus was raised away from Athens. When he came of age, he recovered his father’s sword and sandals from beneath a rock and traveled to Athens to claim his patrimony, presenting himself as the rightful heir to the Athenian throne.

Theseus is best known for slaying the Minotaur in Crete, traveling with a thread given by Ariadne to navigate the labyrinth and defeat the monster. Other deeds include capturing the Marathonian Bull and killing various offenders along the road: Sinis the Pine-Bender, Sciron, and Procrustes, as well as destroying the Crommyonian Sow. With his ally Pirithous, he attempted to abduct Persephone from the Underworld and was trapped there; Heracles later freed Pirithous, but Theseus’ fate in the Underworld varies by tradition.

On returning to Athens, Theseus is said to have become king and to have worked to unify Attica under a single political system, sometimes associated with the foundation of the Areopagus as a governing council after his reforms. The myth of Theseus has influenced Greek tragedy and later literature, and his figure persists as a symbol of civic leadership and heroic prowess. Accounts of his death vary widely; some place it in exile on Scyros, others describe a different end.