1

The great Athenian hero

2

Early life

Aegeus, King of Athens, went to Troezen to visit Pittheus. He had received an oracle that he should loose his wineskin at home to have children.

Aegeus slept with Pittheus’ daughter Aethra…

Alternate: Poseidon is Theseus’ real dad

3

Early life

Before Aegeus returns to Athens, he leaves his sandals and sword under a massive rock as a test for any child born of Aethra.

4

Early life

Theseus lifted the rock with ease.

5

Theseus takes the dangerous route overland rather than a safe sea voyage to Athens. He wants to emulate his cousin Heracles.

Early life

6

Journey to Athens

Across the dangerous isthmus, he meets and defeats several bandits with poetic justice.

Periphetes, the club-man, who bashed others, is bashed by Theseus.

7

Journey to Athens

Sinis, the so-called pine bender, who catapulted people off the cliff with a pine, is treated the same.

8

Journey to Athens

Skiron, who kicked, people into the sea as they washed his feet, received the same.

9

Journey to Athens

Procrustes who stretched short people and chopped off tall people who did not fit his bed got his own medicine….

10

Journey to Athens

11

Medea, the witch and Aegeus’ wife, recognizes Theseus and tries to have Aegeus kill him, but dad recognizes the sword.

In Athens

12

The MinotaurDue to Theseus evil cousins killing a son of Minos. The king of Crete demands 7 boys and 7 girls as sacrifice every 7 years.

He feeds them to the minotaur, his wife’s son who is half-bull. The Minotaur is kept in the Labyrinth.

13

Theseus volunteered to go and assured his dad by saying he would change black sails to white on his successful return.

Off to Slay the Minotaur

14

Minos and Theseus and the ring in the sea…

Ariadne falls in love and decides to help.

The Minotaur

15

The Minotaur

Theseus killed the Minotaur

16

Theseus stopped at the island of Naxos, where he unjustly abandoned Ariadne asleep on the beach.

Abandonment of Ariadne

17

Ariadne awakes and curses Theseus, who then forgets to change the sails to white…

Dad, Aegeus, sees the black and jumps to his death from the cliffs…giving the name Aegean to the sea.

Theseus becomes king but grieves at his loss.

Death of Aegeus

18

Buddy Pirithoüs

Theseus’ best friend Pirithous went on many adventures with him. They both fought against wicked Centaurs.

They also pledged to help each other steal the best brides in Greece. They stole Helen for Theseus (though her brothers Castor and Pollux later got her back), and then they went to Tartarus to steal Persephone from Hades.

Hades tricked them into sitting in the chairs of forgetfulness, where they stayed for years, before Heracles rescued Theseus (who left part of his buttocks behind).

19

Heracles saves Theseus

20

Theseus was one of the heroes who fought the Amazons, and he also married one named Antiope.

Amazons

21

Phaedra

Theseus finally married Ariadne's sister, Phaedra, the daugher of King Minos of Crete. But she tragically fell in love with his son Hippolytus (son of Antiope).

In the end, both Phaedra and Hippolytus died.

22

Aural Comprehension Quiz(put completed quiz in the basket)

1. Who is Aegeus?2. How did Theseus prove his parentage?3. How did Theseus deal with the bandits on the

isthmus?4. How did Theseus retrieve the ring thrown by

Minos?5. What happened to Theseus due to Ariadne’s

curse?6. Why did Theseus go to the underworld, and how

did he escape?