Minotaur— Greek Creature"The Bull of Minos"

The Birth of a Monster

The Minotaur was born from divine punishment. Poseidon sent King Minos a magnificent white bull to sacrifice, but Minos kept it for himself. In revenge, Poseidon made Queen Pasiphaë fall in love with the bull. The craftsman Daedalus built her a hollow wooden cow to consummate her desire, and from this unnatural union the Minotaur was born—a creature with a man's body and a bull's head, named Asterion.

The Labyrinth

Unable to kill his wife's monstrous son, Minos ordered Daedalus to construct an inescapable prison: the Labyrinth, a maze of endless corridors beneath the palace of Knossos. Once inside, no one could find the way out. The Minotaur prowled these dark passages, neither fully beast nor fully man, growing more savage with each passing year.

The Tribute of Athens

After Minos's son Androgeus died in Athens, Minos conquered the city and demanded a terrible tribute: every nine years, Athens must send seven young men and seven young women to be devoured by the Minotaur. For generations, the cream of Athenian youth vanished into the Labyrinth, their screams echoing through the maze.

Theseus and the Thread

Theseus, prince of Athens, volunteered as tribute, determined to end the slaughter. Minos's daughter Ariadne fell in love with him and gave him a ball of thread to mark his path through the maze. Theseus unwound the thread as he descended into darkness, found the Minotaur, and slew him—with his bare hands or a sword, depending on the telling.

The Monster's Tragedy

The Minotaur is a tragic figure: a child born through no fault of his own, neither accepted by humans nor belonging to beasts, imprisoned and fed on human flesh until he became the monster he appeared. His story is one of divine cruelty, human sacrifice, and a hero's glory—but somewhere in the dark, a creature named Asterion died alone.