Theseus' Heroes Journey

Part 1

The story of Theseus begins with his parents, the King Aegeus of Athens, and the daughter of the King of Troezon, Aethra. They were married in secret, and after Theseus was produced as the king's heir, the king returned to Athens and told his wife that when their son reached manhood and could move the boulder that hid a sword and sandals he could return to Athens to claim his birthright. However, on her wedding night Aethra was also seduced by Poseidon on the coast, and laid with him. This produces Theseus’ godly blood, and so he becomes a demigod son of the King.

Ordinary World

Theseus resides with his mother, with no knowledge of who his father is. His mother had been secretly married to the King of Athens, his father, but also seduced by Poseidon, to produce Theseus. He was raised in Troezon by his mother and grandfather.

Part 2

When Theseus becomes of age, his mother tells him that he may meet his father if he is to move the boulder that hides the sword and sandals. At her challenge, he moves the boulder and claims his prize, eager to meet his father. She told him that he resided in Athens, and to take the sea to reach him rather than the robber infested roads.

Call to Adventure

Theseus, in Troezon, is set on a seemingly impossible task to know more about his father. He succeeds in moving the boulder and retrieving the sword and sandals that will lead him to his father.

Part 3

However, Theseus’s mother warns that he will likely not return home if he is to meet his father and that the only safe passage is through the sea so that they can avoid the robber infested roads on the way to Athens. Theseus refuses to follow this advice and crosses onto the roads to reach Athens rather than crossing the sea to his mother and grandfather's advice.

Refusal of the Call

Theseus refuses his mother and grandfather's advice of not meeting his father, and sets off on a dangerous road from Troezon to Athens to meet him.

Part 4

When Theseus finally reaches Athens after a long and challenging journey, he gets to meet his father the King of Athens, Aegeus. At first, his father does not recognise him, and the wicked stepmother Medea wishes to kill Theseus so her own sons reside on the throne. The king recognises the sword and sandals Theseus carries at dinner and stops his wife just before she poisons him with wine.

Meeting the Mentor

Theseus meets his father, King Aegeus, in Athens, who has since married the witch Medea who has bore sons. She wishes to kill him so that her sons will be the only heirs. Aegeus has dinner with his family, and upon recognizing that he is who he claims to be based on the sword and sandals, stops his wife from poisoning Theseus.

Part 5

A ship soon arrives while Theseus resides with his father, and soon enough he realises that it has saddened his father beyond belief, but he will not tell Theseus what troubles him. He soon learns that the king of Krete is demanding yearly sacrifices to the minotaur so that he is fed well after his eldest son died in Athens. Aegeus must send seven men and seven women to appease the king and prevent war each year. Theseus comes up with the idea that he himself will go as a male tribute to defeat the minotaur and prevent further sacrifices. His father refuses to send him at first but soon relents. They agree that should Theseus return safe, he will hoist white sails on his ship, so that the king will know of his state before his return. So, Theseus boards the ship and leaves for the labyrinth.

Crossing the Threshold

Theseus learns that each year, his father is forced by the king of Krete to send seven men and seven women to the labyrinth, after he is blamed for his eldest son dying in Athens, and Theseus offers himself so he may kill the minotaur. His father refuses at first but soon allows his son to go on. Theseus boards the ship to the island of Krete, and tells his father that if he should return home safe, he will hoist white sails so that his father knows before the ship docks.

Part 6

Their journey was met with no difficulty and no trials. And so, when Theseus arrived and was presented with other sacrifices in front of King Minos, he presented himself as the prince of Athens and the son of Poseidon. Minos, in an attempt to taunt Theseus’ proclamation of being the son of the god Poseidon, took off his ring and tossed it into the ocean so that Theseus would be forced to retrieve it. He dived into the water and began praying to Poseidon for assistance. The nymph Thetis appeared and returned the ring to him, and gifted him with an old crown. He returned these items to the king who laughed at him. 

As they would not approach the minotaur till the next day, the sacrifices were taken away, however, Theseus was visited in the night by the daughter of the King, Ariadne. She was well versed in the labyrinth and said if Theseus took her to Athens and made her his Queen, she would gift him something that would assist his journey in the labyrinth. Theseus agreed and received a ball of silk. She told him he would find his way back with it if he tied it to a rock at the beginning of the labyrinth and released the string as he travelled.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Upon arrival Theseus is met by the test of King Minos who mocks him for proclaiming to be the Prince of Athens and son of Poseidon. He throws his ring into the ocean and orders Theseus to retrieve it. Theseus dives into the ocean and prays to Poseidon, and is greeted by the water nymph Thetis who returns the ring and gifts him an old crown. Theseus returns these items. 

Theseus makes an ally of Ariadne, the daughter of the king. She approaches him while the other sacrifices sleep and makes an alliance with him. If he returns to Athens with her as his Queen, she will assist him. He agrees and is gifted with a ball of silk, which she tells him to tie to a rock at the beginning of the labyrinth and slowly release so it can guide him to the entrance.

Part 7

The next morning the sacrifices are gathered at the entrance to the labyrinth. Upon being sealed inside, Theseus asks for all of them to trust and follow him, they agree. Theseus takes the string gifted to him by Ariadne and ties it to a rock, and as they venture towards the centre of the maze where the Minotaur resides, they slowly release the string so that they can guide themselves back to the entrance.

Approach the Innermost Cave

The sacrifices enter the labyrinth. Theseus ties the string to a rock at the entrance and asks for everyone to follow him. Oer Ariadne’s instructions, they release it as they approach the centre of the maze where the minotaur resides.

Part 8

When they meet the beast, they have found him so quickly that he still sleeps. Theseus approaches it, slowly, and then rips off one of its two horns after leaping onto the beast's head. He takes it into his hand and stabs the minotaur with it as it cries furiously. Theseus then runs a distance from the beast, as the others have done, and takes the horn covered in the beast's blood still. The minotaur is still moving and angry at Theseus. Theseus takes the horn and throws it like a javelin, lodging it in the beast's neck to kill it.

Ordeal

They find the beast still asleep. Theseus leaps onto its head and rips off one of its horns to stab it. He then runs a distance away to use it as a javelin to lodge in the beast's neck as it charges.

Part 9

Theseus and the sacrifices cheer at the defeat of the beast, and soon take the string to guide them to the entrance of the labyrinth. Upon their return, they greet the king and princess with news of the minotaur's defeat. With the princess at their side, they board the black-sailed ship for their return home.

Reward

The string guides them to the entrance of the labyrinth, and with Ariadne, they return to their ship to sail home.

Part 10

As they sail home, in one night Theseus has a vision of the god Dionysus. The god tells him that Ariadne is fated to be his bride, and if she is not left on the island that there will be a great price to pay. So, out of respect, they stop at an island and Theseus is forced to leave Ariadne there to become the god Dionysus’ bride. Before she meets Dionysus, she curses Theseus in anger of being abandoned, in turn, he does not know of her curse and grieves his loss.

Road Back

Theseus is warned by Dionysus to leave Ariadne on an island to become the god’s bride while they sail home. She is left on the island which saddens Theseus, but she curses him in anger.

Part 11

They continued home, but the crew, out of grief for losing Ariadne’s company, or from the curse of Ariadne, does not change the sails. Aegeus, Theseus’ father sees the black sails and assumes his son's death at the hands of the minotaur despite him being on the ship. Aegeus had been waiting on a cliff to best see his sons return, and upon seeing the sails, jumped from the cliff into what is now called the Aegean sea out of grief for supposedly losing his son.

Resurrection

Theseus’ grief at losing his lover to the god Dionysus and the crew's grief, or Ariadne's curse, lead them to forget to change the sails to white to signal Theseus’ safe return. Aegeus, who waited upon the cliffs for his son's return, jumped upon seeing the black sails and thinking his son was dead.

Part 12

As Theseus returns, the knowledge of his father’s death greatly saddens him, as it was at his own hand. However, he is praised and celebrated for the killing of the minotaur and the return of the other thirteen sacrifices, he is hailed as a great warrior for his adventures. He becomes king of Athens as the eldest son.

Return with the Elixir

Theseus returns and becomes the king of Athens.

Bibliography

Adventures of Theseus: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net - Greek Gods & Goddesses, February 7, 2017

"Greeka" March 16, 2022. https://www.greeka.com/attica/athens/myths/theseus/

GreekMythology.com, T. Editors of Website. "Theseus Adventures." GreekMythology.com Website, April 14, 2021. https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/Theseus_Adventures/theseus_adventures.html.