Theseus, The Great Hero of
Attica
Growing Up
• He grew up without a
father, living with his
mother Aethra in Troezen.
His true father was
Poseidon, but he was said
to be directly related to the
King of Athens, Ageus.
Hand-Me Downs
• His father had resumed his throne in Athens
and left his pregnant wife before Theseus was
born. Before leaving, he left his armor and
sword under a large boulder. He did this so
when Theseus was strong enough to lift the
boulder and retrieve the armor, he could be
recognized by his dad when he went to
Athens.
Theseus and the Six Labors
• The famous Six Labors were really just six
people/creatures that Theseus had to kill on his
way to Athens; they were gruesome, fierce, and
most of all, supernaturally gifted.
• He killed each of these brigands by using their
own unique methods of murder.
Only ONE will survive…
The Super Six
• Periphetes, son of Hephaestas, had an enormous
club
• Sinis, “The Pine Bender”, attached people to two
bent trees with ropes, and dismembered them
by releasing the tension suddenly.
• The Colossal Sow of Crommyon
• Sciron, who made travelers wash his feet, and
then fed them to a giant turtle.
• Cerayon, Greece`s best wrestler
• Procrustes, “The Stretcher”, who made travelers
lie in a small bed, and while they slept, would lop
off their legs if they were too long.
Father and Son Re-unite
• Ageus finally meets his dad in Athens,
however it turns out that the king has
remarried a malicious woman, Medeia. She
recognized Theseus and Ageus` son instantly.
• Ageus had not recognized his son yet, but he
heard from the people that his son had killed
six of the fiercest men in Greece, so he invited
him to his home.
• The issue was that the queen was already
pregnant with the king`s son, and wanted her
offspring to succeed to the throne. At the
banquet that night, she attempted to kill
Theseus.
• Theseus was carving a
boar with his father`s
sword, when Ageus finally
recognized him. As
Theseus was about to
drink a goblet of poisoned
wine, Ageus had a sudden
urge to knock it out of his
sons hand, saving him.
Theseus Works for His Father
• Theseus became a mercenary for his father.
He defeated Ageus`s biggest rival and brother,
Pallas.
Bull of Marathon
• After Heracles had driven the Cretan Bull to
Marathon, Theseus took it to Athens and
sacrificed it to Delphi.
Theseus and the Minotaur
• King Aegus and King Minos were
having a huge dispute. To settle it,
Minos demanded a sacrifice every
1-9 years of several Athenian
youths, and nobles. They would be
sent into a cavernous labyrinth and
held at the mercy of the
abominable minotaur. Theseus
volunteered one year to become a
tribute, so that he could kill this
thing.
Ariadne
• The daughter of Minos,
Ariadne, fell hopelessly in
love with the young man.
She was determined to help
him kill the creature.
• She gave him a long spool of
thread so he could retrace
his steps out of the
labyrinth. Another myth
says that she gave him a
luminous wreath to light his
way.
• Theseus returned to
Athens after slaying the
Minotaur. He was
instructed to raise a
white sail on his return,
so his father could see
that he had made it out
alive.……. He forgot to
• His father leapt into the
sea where he drowned.
Thus, we get the
Aegean Sea.
• Theseus takes his
fathers place on the
throne of Athens.