Theseus

Theseus is the main hero of Athenian mythic memory. He journeys to Athens, defeats robbers and monsters, travels to Crete, kills the Minotaur and returns as a figure connected with the unification of Attica.

Athenian answer to Heracles

In Athenian tradition Theseus often appears as a local counterpart to Heracles: a hero of strength, roads, order and the clearing of dangerous beings.

Additional sources and visual checks

Theseus matters as an Athenian hero: the Minotaur, Sinis, Procrustes, Amazons and Athenian political memory form a programme rather than one episode. Future images should look to Attic vase-painting and Athenian monuments.

For source checks: - Perseus Digital Library - Beazley Archive - LIMC online

Related topics

• Minotaur
• Centaurs
• Ancient Greece

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