Early Life of Theseus
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His mother was Aethra and his father was unknown though it was thought to be either Poseidon or King Aegeus
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Before Theseus was born, Aegeus told Aethra that if they had a son, she must tell him to lift a specific rock when he became a certain age
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Aegeus stashed a sword and pair of sandals under a rock before leaving for Athens
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Theseus was born, grew to be a strong man, and Aethra told him to lift the rock at the proper time
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He easily moved the rock and collected the stashed items
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Theseus was now prepared for the trip to Athens and was sent off by Aethra
Theseus entering the labyrinth followed by Ariadne
Thesus's Journey to Athens
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Theseus decided to travel to Athens by land, a much more dangerous journey than by traveling by land because of bandits
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Theseus encountered many bandits on his journey
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Bandit 1: Periphetes - A club-handling bandit whom Theseus hit over a cliff
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Bandit 2: Sciron - An ax-wielding giant who demanded a toll to allow travelers to pas, but Theseus threw him over a cliff
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Bandit 3: Sinis - He attached people to trees and catapulted them away, however Theseus tricked him and he was the one who went flying
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Bandit 4: Procrustes- He attached people to beds and stretched or cut off their limbs depending on their height, only this time Theseus chopped off his limbs
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Theseus punished the cruel bandits in the ways they punished others (an eye for an eye)
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Theseus soon arrived at Athens, having cleared the bandits from the trail
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He went to find Aegeus who had married a sorceress named Medea
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Medea instantly knew who Theseus was and knew that she had to get rid of him
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Medea convinced her husband that Theseus had come to murder him and that they should poison him with wine
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Aegeus was still oblivious to the fact that the visitor was his son
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Aegeus invited Theseus to dinner, Theseus accepted the invitation, and was just about to drink his wine
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All of a sudden, Aegeus recognized the sword that Theseus carried and threw the wine cup out of his sons hands
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Aegeus was proud to be reconnected with his son and Medea fled
Theseus fighting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth
http://img02.deviantart.net/7d30/i/2009/354/5/a/theseus_and_the_minotaur_by_aka_maelstrom.jpg
Theseus's Journey to Minos
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Theseus learned that King Minos attacked Athens after his eldest son was accidentally killed there
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Part of the peace agreement demanded that Athens send a yearly tribute of seven girls and seven boys to be fed to the Minotaur
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The Minotaur was a bull-headed monster that lived in the Labyrinth
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Theseus went to Aegeus and declared that he wanted to be chosen as one of the tributes so that he would have the opportunity to kill the Minotaur
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Aegeus was against the idea, but Theseus persuaded him
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As part of the deal, upon his return, the ship he was on would sail with a white flag if he was alive, but would sail with a black flag if he was killed
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This way Aegeus would know the outcome of Theseus's quest before the ship landed
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Theseus arrived at Crete and was welcomed by King Minos
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He was visited by Ariadne, King Minos's daughter, where she told him that she wanted to help him kill the Minotaur in return for him taking her with him when he left the island
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She gave him a ball of thread to help him navigate the tunnels of the labyrinth
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Theseus and the other tributes were forced into the labyrinth
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He quickly located the minotaur and killed it while it was sleeping
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He then led everyone out of the labyrinth safe and sound
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The tributes, Theseus, and Ariadne boarded their ship for Athens
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Theseus left Ariadne on an island and continued on to Athens without her
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Aegeus saw the ship approaching with a black sail
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He immediately threw himself over a cliff because Theseus had forgotten to change the color of the sail
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The Aegean Sea is named after him
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Theseus fighting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth