King Minos of Crete commanded the brilliant inventor Daedalus to construct an inescapable maze, the Labyrinth, to hide the Minotaur—a terrifying creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull. As punishment for a past wrong, Athens was forced to send seven youths and seven maidens every nine years to be devoured by the beast. The hero Theseus volunteered to go, determined to end the gruesome tribute.
With the help of Minos's daughter, Ariadne, who gave him a ball of thread to find his way back, Theseus navigated the dark corridors, slew the Minotaur, and led the Athenians to safety.