THE ADVENTURES OF THESEUS
_I. The Marathonian Bull_
Theseus was too active to love an idle life and began to look around
him to find ways of helping his father's people. He wanted to be
worthy of the throne. "It is not enough," he said, "that I am of royal
descent. I should also have a royal heart and be of real service to
mankind. I must be a leader in deeds as well as in words." He soon
found an opportunity to show his prowess.
To the northeast of Athens is a beautiful mountain-ridge with a white
marble band across it. This is the famous Pentelikon, and the purple
mountain of Hymettos is separated from it by a narrow pass. Beyond
these mountains is the plain of Marathon sloping down to the blue sea.
In the plain of Marathon the terrible Bull which Herakles had brought
from Crete to Eurystheus still roamed, but the tyrant had turned it
loose. This Bull did great havoc among the inhabitants of the
surrounding country.
Theseus heard of their distress and promised to free them from the
fearful beast. He armed himself with a tough shield and a long spear
and went to Marathon. When he found out the Bull's hiding-place he
chased and overtook him. He grappled him by the horns with his
powerful hands and dragged him back to Athens. The people of Athens
and all the country about came to meet Theseus. They rejoiced because
he had rid them of such a pest and they admired his strength, but they
did not dare to help him, and stood ready to run for their lives in
case the Bull should slip away from him. Theseus went through the
midst of the city holding on to the Bull, which he took to the temple
of Apollo and offered up as a sacrifice to that god. Old Ægeus shed
tears of joy when he saw how the gods honored him in the possession of
such a son.
_II. Theseus Sails to Crete_
But there was a greater adventure with greater glory awaiting Theseus,
for Athens had a more terrible enemy than the mad Bull of Marathon. It
had happened years before that a son of Minos, the wise and powerful
King of Crete, had come to Athens to take part in the yearly festival
held in honor of the goddess Athena. He took part in all their public
games and came off victor every time. The athletes of Athens were very
angry that a man from another country should show more skill and carry
off all the prizes, so with Ægeus' consent they killed him.
Then Minos made war on the Athenians and killed a great number of
them, and the gods also punished them for this treacherous murder by
letting the land bear no crops and by sending on them a deadly fever.
The Athenians were compelled to surrender to Minos, and they had to
agree to the most humiliating terms. They promised to send seven
youths and seven maidens every year to Crete.
Now Minos had a park laid out by the most cunning man of his times.
There were walks and paths so many and so winding that no one who got
into it could get out again, but had to wander on and on, getting more
and more confused. This park was called the Labyrinth, and in the
centre of it was a cave in which just at that time King Minos kept a
dangerous monster which had the body and limbs of a man but the head
of a bull.
The creature was called the Minotaur and it was fierce and cruel.
There was only one way to prevent him from roaming the fields and
endangering the lives of the people. He had to be kept in a good
humor, and this could be done only by feeding him now and then on
human flesh. So Minos bethought him of using the Athenian captives for
that purpose.
When the time of the third tribute arrived, the citizens of Athens
began to urge Ægeus to do something to prevent the dreadful sacrifice.
They accused him of being the sole cause of the trouble. They told him
that it was shameful that he had no share in the punishment. These
complaints wounded the ambitious Theseus to the quick.
His sense of justice told him that it would be only right for him to
share the troubles of the citizens, and therefore he insisted on going
to Crete with the seven youths and the seven maidens.
The citizens felt sorry for Theseus, and Ægeus prayed his son to
remain at home with him, but Theseus answered: "My dear father, how
can I be happy when the whole nation suffers? How can I abide in
safety when our subjects are sacrificed? Do not try to dissuade me,
for honor calls."
The vessel which was to take them to Crete was ready to start. It
carried a black sail, a sign of its direful errand. Theseus tried to
console his father by telling him that he was going to kill the
Minotaur. Ægeus was quick to believe in the valor of his son and gave
another sail, a white one, to the pilot, telling him to hoist it if
they returned happily, but to leave the black one up if Theseus failed
to win the victory. The ship sailed away and the parents and relatives
of the youths and maidens wept bitter tears, but all the citizens
called aloud to the gods to give Theseus success in his generous
undertaking.