When Theseus arrived at the Athens palace, he found his father Aegeus... but also the dangerous sorceress Medea.

Medea had married Aegeus after fleeing from Jason. She had a son with Aegeus and wanted this son to inherit the throne - NOT Theseus.

"Who is this young foreigner?" asked Medea with a voice sweet as honey but full of venom.

"I don't know," said Aegeus. "But he defeated all the bandits on the road! It's impressive!"

Medea looked at Theseus and realized who he really was! She saw the resemblance to Aegeus! And she decided to eliminate him before Aegeus recognized him!

"My king," murmured Medea, "this foreigner may be dangerous! He may be a spy! Let me prepare a cup of wine for him... as hospitality..."

But secretly, Medea put deadly poison in the wine.

At the banquet, Theseus sat at the royal table! Medea brought the poisoned cup!

"Drink, young hero!" she said with a false smile.

Theseus was about to drink when... he drew his sword to cut the meat.

Aegeus saw the sword! He recognized it immediately - it was HIS! The sword he had hidden under the rock sixteen years ago!

"WAIT!" shouted Aegeus, knocking the cup from Theseus's hand! The poisoned wine spilled on the floor, killing the plants it touched!

"This sword... is mine!" said Aegeus trembling. "You... you're my son? Theseus?"

"Yes, father!" smiled Theseus! "I came from Troezen! I moved the rock and brought your sandals and sword!"

Aegeus embraced his son, crying with joy! "My son! I finally found you!"

Medea realized her plan had failed! She fled the palace in her flying chariot pulled by dragons, never to return!

Athens celebrated! The prince had returned! But the joy was short-lived...

Days later, a black ship arrived from Crete. From it descended soldiers of King Minos.

"It's time for the tribute!" they announced.

The people of Athens groaned in horror! Theseus didn't understand! "What tribute?"

Aegeus explained sadly: "Years ago, a prince of Crete came to Athens and was killed by our Marathon Bull. King Minos blamed us! He defeated us in war! Now, every nine years, we must send a terrible tribute to Crete: seven young men and seven maidens to be devoured by the Minotaur!"

"Minotaur?" asked Theseus.

"A monstrous creature - half human, half bull! It lives in the Labyrinth, a palace of infinite corridors built by Daedalus! No one who enters ever leaves!"

Athenian families wept as their children were chosen by lottery! Fourteen young people to die!

Theseus couldn't bear it! "No! I'll go in place of one of them!"

"No!" shouted Aegeus. "I just found you! I can't lose you!"

"Father," said Theseus firmly, "I'm prince of Athens! It's my duty to protect my people! And I'll do more - I'll kill the Minotaur and end this tribute forever!"

"It's impossible!" said Aegeus. "No one survives the Labyrinth!"

"I'll find a way," promised Theseus.

Aegeus, with a broken heart, agreed! "Go with black sails, like all tribute ships. But if you kill the Minotaur and survive, change the sails to white on the return! Thus I'll know from afar that you live!"

Theseus promised to remember.

The ship sailed to Crete. The fourteen Athenian youths were terrified! But Theseus encouraged them!

"Don't lose hope! I'll fight the Minotaur and take us all home!"

When they arrived in Crete, they were taken to King Minos's palace. In the crowd watching was Ariadne - Minos's daughter.

Ariadne looked at Theseus... and immediately fell in love! He was so brave! So handsome! So noble!

"I can't let him die!" she thought.

That night, Ariadne secretly went to Theseus's cell.

"I'm Ariadne, the king's daughter," she said. "I want to help you! But you'll have to do something for me!"

"What?" asked Theseus.

"Take me with you when you escape! Marry me! I can't stand living anymore on this island where my father feeds people to a monster!"

Theseus looked at her! She was beautiful and brave! "I agree! But how can I defeat the Minotaur and escape the Labyrinth?"

Ariadne gave Theseus two gifts:

First, a magical sword that glowed faintly in the dark.

Second - and more important - a ball of thread.

"The Labyrinth is impossible," explained Ariadne. "A thousand corridors! All look the same! But if you tie one end of this thread at the entrance and unroll it as you advance, you can follow the thread back to get out!"

It was brilliantly simple! Theseus kissed Ariadne's hand! "You're as wise as you are beautiful!"

The next morning, Theseus and the other thirteen youths were taken to the Labyrinth entrance.

The door opened... revealing darkness and infinite corridors.

Theseus tied Ariadne's thread to the door frame! Then, bravely, he entered!

Theseus entered the Labyrinth, unrolling the thread! The other youths stayed near the entrance, afraid to go deeper!

The corridors were infinite! Left, right, left, left, right! Stairs going up! Stairs going down! Empty rooms! Dead ends!

But Theseus continued, always holding the thread.

And then... he heard.

Snooort! Snooort!

Heavy breathing! Heavy footsteps!

And a roar that echoed through the stone walls - neither completely human, nor completely animal.

The Minotaur.

Theseus turned a corner and there it was.

The Minotaur was immense! It had the muscular body of a man but the massive head of a bull, with horns sharp as spears! Its red eyes glowed with primitive fury!

The Minotaur saw Theseus and Attacked.

Crash! Theseus dodged the deadly horns by inches! The Minotaur crashed into the wall, making the Labyrinth shake!

Theseus attacked with the sword! He cut the monster's shoulder! But the Minotaur was too strong - it barely felt the wound!

Whooom! The Minotaur hit Theseus, throwing him against the wall! Theseus felt ribs breaking!

The monster charged again! Theseus rolled on the floor! The horns passed where his head had been seconds before!

It was a deadly dance! Theseus was faster but the Minotaur was stronger! One mistake and Theseus would be crushed!

Then Theseus had an idea! When the Minotaur charged again, Theseus didn't dodge to the side - he dodged UP, grabbing the horns!

The Minotaur roared and shook its head violently! But Theseus held tight!

Using all his strength, Theseus Twisted the Minotaur's neck.

The beast roared in agony! Theseus twisted more!

Crack.

The Minotaur's neck broke! The monster fell dead!

Theseus stood up, bleeding and exhausted but victorious! The terror of Crete was dead!

He followed the thread back! At each point of the ball, the path was clear! Right, right, left, right, left!

Finally he reached the entrance! The other youths shouted with joy when they saw him alive!

"The Minotaur is dead!" announced Theseus! "We're free!"

Outside, Ariadne waited! When she saw Theseus, she ran into his arms!

"We escape! NOW!" said Theseus!

Theseus, Ariadne, and the fourteen Athenian youths ran to the port! But first, Theseus sabotaged all of Crete's warships - he made holes in the hulls so they couldn't pursue!

They departed in the black ship, sailing quickly away from Crete.

But on the journey back, something strange happened! The ship stopped at the island of Naxos to get water!

And there, during the night, Theseus had a dream! The god Dionysus appeared!

"Theseus," said Dionysus, "Ariadne is not for you! She is destined to be MY wife! Leave her in Naxos!"

Theseus woke confused and conflicted! Should he obey a god? But he had promised to marry Ariadne!

Sadly, Theseus decided to obey the god! While Ariadne slept on the beach, he and the Athenians departed...

When Ariadne woke, she saw the ship leaving! "THESEUS! COME BAAAACK!" she shouted, crying!

But then Dionysus appeared to console her! "Don't cry, beautiful Ariadne! Theseus was just a mortal! I'll make you my immortal wife!"

And so it was! Ariadne became a goddess, wife of Dionysus!

Theseus was sad and distracted by the loss of Ariadne! So distracted that... he forgot to change the ship's sails!

The sails remained black.

Meanwhile, in Athens, Aegeus waited anxiously! Every day he went to the cliff to watch the sea, waiting for his son's ship!

Finally, he saw sails on the horizon! A ship approaching!

But the sails were... Black.

"No!" screamed Aegeus! "Theseus is dead! My son is dead!"

Overcome by unbearable grief, the old king threw himself off the cliff into the sea.

And so that sea came to be called the Aegean Sea - in memory of the king who died of sadness.

When Theseus arrived at the port, he was happy to have saved the youths and defeated the Minotaur.

But then he received the terrible news: his father had died.

"NO!" cried Theseus! "The sails! I forgot to change the sails!"

Theseus wept bitterly! His greatest triumph had become his greatest tragedy! He saved fourteen lives but it cost his own father's life!

The prophecy of Aegeus's death had been fulfilled - but not by murder, but by accident and despair.

Theseus became king of Athens! He ruled wisely for many years! He unified all the cities of Attica under Athens! He created primitive democracy!

But he never forgot his two great losses: Ariadne, whom he loved and left! And Aegeus, the father he found and lost by his own mistake!

Theseus's stories continued - he had many other adventures! But none was as famous as the day he entered the Labyrinth and defeated the Minotaur!