page_title: Minos
section_title: Theseus
hierarchical_section_title: Minos / Mythological Minos / Theseus
caption_attribution_description: English: Illustration of Theseus slaying the Minotaur on a neck-amphora. Circa 460 BC.
context_page_description: In Greek mythology, Minos was a King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every seven years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by the Minotaur. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in the underworld.
  The Minoan civilization of Crete has been named after him by the archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans.
context_section_description: Minos' son Androgeus won every game in a contest hosted by Aegeas of Athens. Alternatively, the other contestants were jealous of Androgeus and killed him. Minos was angry and declared war on Athens. He offered the Athenians peace if they sent Minos seven young men and seven virgin maidens to feed the Minotaur every year (which corresponded directly to the Minoans' meticulous records of lunar alignments - a full moon falls on the equinoxes once every eight years). This continued until Theseus killed the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, Minos' lovestruck daughter.
caption: Amphora showing Theseus slaying the Minotaur, 460 BC. Ref:1837,0609.57 .
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