Ariadne

Ariadne is a princess of Crete and daughter of King Minos. She recounts stories of Scylla’s cruel fate and her father’s conquests. As a gift to Minos, the god Zeus sent a devastating plague across Athens that helped to secure the king’s victory in the war. Athens agreed to his demand that the city send seven Athenian youths and seven maidens to Crete to be fed to the Minotaur, a ferocious beast living in a labyrinth beneath Minos’s palace.

Ariadne describes her childhood growing up in the palace of Knossos. She introduces Daedalus, who is a skilled craftsman, as well as her younger sister (Phaedra) and her mother (Pasiphae). She tells the story of how the Minotaur came to be: The god Poseidon sent a sacred bull to King Minos to sacrifice in Poseidon’s honor. However, Minos desired to keep the bull and sacrificed another, lesser bull to Poseidon. Offended, Poseidon punished Minos by making his wife, Pasiphae, lust for the sacred bull. Pasiphae enlisted Daedalus to construct a wooden cow so realistic that the bull was tricked into mounting it while the queen was hidden within. Their union became a source of scandal and gossip, humiliating King Minos.

Ariadne is a young child when these events occur, and she becomes fearful that the gods might punish her too for a man’s actions. Ariadne’s handmaiden tells her the story of Medusa, another woman forced to suffer for a man’s crimes: After the god Poseidon raped Medusa in the goddess Athena’s temple, Athena stripped her of her beauty, giving her a face that would turn onlookers to stone. Medusa took her vengeance and turned men to statues before the hero Perseus beheaded her. Ariadne contemplates this story as she watches Pasiphae withdraw during her pregnancy, resolving that if she ever experiences the same fate, she will not hide like her mother.

When Ariadne is 10 years old, her mother Pasiphae gives birth. The child is part human, part bull, and Pasiphae names him Asterion. Ariadne expects to loathe him, but instead she sees him as her brother and helps her mother tend to him, hoping he could one day be somewhat “civilized.” One day, Asterion breaks out of his stable and kills Ariadne’s handmaiden, Eirene. As the beast grows rapidly and becomes more difficult to contain, King Minos recognizes how Asterion could strengthen his status and power and names him the “Minotaur”—a combination of “Minos” and “taurus,” or “bull.” He instructs Daedalus to build a mighty labyrinth beneath the palace to contain the beast. The Minotaur becomes a symbol of dominance, and Minos rules Crete through fear. Pasiphae retreats into her quiet rage, and rumors swirl that she is a witch. To take revenge on Minos, Pasiphae curses him so that every woman he has sex with dies. Ariadne’s family is tainted by scandalous rumors, and all of Crete seems to despise them. After a few years, Ariadne’s brother Androgeos dies in Athens and Minos wages his war, resulting in the agreement to send 14 Athenian youths to be fed to the Minotaur each year.

Ariadne and Phaedra are 18 and 13 years old, respectively, and discuss marriage. Phaedra fantasizes about marrying someone from far away and leaving Crete, but she hopes that she and Ariadne can go together. One day, Ariadne learns that a marriage has been arranged between her and Cinyras of Cyprus. Ariadne opposes the marriage, but neither her mother nor Minos heed her objections, and she is set to leave the following day.

This is when the 14 hostages from Athens arrive. One of the young men catches Ariadne’s notice. Phaedra insists that they must do something to stop the coming sacrifice, but Ariadne says they do not have any power to do so.

King Minos hosts funeral games prior to the sacrifice of the Athenian youths, and Ariadne and Phaedra attend. During the games, Ariadne learns that the green-eyed youth is Theseus, prince of Athens, and that he volunteered as a sacrifice. He is crowned the victor of the games and offered freedom, but he declines, keeping his oath to face the Minotaur. During the feasting later that evening, Ariadne finds that she cannot tear her eyes away from Theseus.

Both Ariadne and Phaedra are infatuated with Theseus, and Ariadne believes he shares her interest. Ariadne leads Pasiphae away from the feast and tries to convince her that they ought to do something to stop the sacrifice, as she cannot bear the thought of Theseus or the other hostages falling victim to the Minotaur. Pasiphae asserts that they cannot stop Minos, but Ariadne decides she will outwit him. She goes to Daedalus, who says he can help her lead Theseus through the Labyrinth but asks her to consider if this is really what Theseus wants—to allow a girl to rescue him. He is sure that Theseus hopes not merely to escape the Labyrinth but also to defeat the Minotaur. Nevertheless, Daedalus agrees to help her, but he says she must afterward leave Crete or else face her father’s wrath. He gives her a ball of red twine and a key.

Ariadne hurries to the cells where the hostages are imprisoned and frees Theseus. They go somewhere to speak in private. As Daedalus predicted, Theseus will not run but intends to face the Minotaur and escape the Labyrinth. He says that if Ariadne helps him, he will be forever in her debt. He begins to tell her of his many great deeds and the mystery of his parentage; tales say he is either the son of the Athenian king Aegeus or the god Poseidon. When he learned that Theseus’s mother was pregnant, Aegeus buried his sword and sandals beneath a mighty boulder and said that if the child could one day move the boulder and retrieve Aegeus’s items, he would be welcomed as the prince of Athens.

Theseus tells Ariadne that he always knew he was destined for greatness. He speaks of Heracles, who inspired Theseus with his own tales of heroism and taught him to wield a club. He also describes his journey from his mother’s land, where he grew up, to Athens: a quest full of dangers and acts of heroism. Upon arriving in the city, he rid Aegeus of his scheming wife, Medea, and took his rightful place as the future king of Athens. As Theseus finishes his tale, a dark figure flings itself before him and Ariadne, wielding an iron club.

The dark figure is Phaedra, who followed Ariadne and Theseus. The club is Theseus’s own, and Phaedra returns it to him. Theseus recounts to the sisters how he volunteered to face the Minotaur. Ariadne and Phaedra are transfixed by his heroism. The three discuss their plan: Theseus will defeat the Minotaur with Ariadne waiting outside the door to the Labyrinth. Theseus will then guide her and the other hostages to a cove where Phaedra will be waiting, and all of them will escape on boats. Theseus gives Phaedra directions to the cove, and she returns to the palace. Alone with Theseus again, Theseus promises to marry Ariadne when he succeeds, which thrills her. She gives him the ball of twine and instructions on how to navigate the Labyrinth. Ariadne takes Theseus back to his cell, where they kiss passionately before Ariadne locks the door.

It is the day of the sacrifice, and Ariadne waits with anticipation. She dances while contemplating her future as the wife of a great hero. Later, she finds Pasiphae braiding Phaedra’s hair. Pasiphae starts to braid Ariadne’s hair as well, and Ariadne fantasizes about Theseus taking her away. However, in her reverie she finds herself on a beach completely alone. This startles and terrifies her. That evening, she goes to the Labyrinth to place Theseus’s club inside. She recalls Daedalus showing her how to open the locks without making a sound and wonders if he did so in anticipation of this moment. Ariadne hesitates, knowing that she condemns her own brother to death by doing this, but then hurries inside to drop the club beside the door, nearly shutting herself within by accident. She escapes and seals the door behind her before the Minotaur can reach her.

After the hostages enter the Labyrinth, Ariadne waits outside. She is deeply worried about Theseus facing the Minotaur and keeps imagining his violent death, but soon he emerges victorious with all the hostages safe. Ariadne is overjoyed and embraces him, but Theseus rebuffs her as he leads her and the hostages to the waiting boats. Phaedra is not there to meet them. Ariadne pleads with Theseus to wait for Phaedra, but he refuses, promising they will return for her. In a sack, he has brought the remains of the Minotaur; Theseus spreads them upon the beach and beats them to pieces with his club. Theseus and Ariadne row out to a ship, which is laden with treasure looted from Knossos, and sail away. They reach the island of Naxos, which is deserted except for a small house. In the house is a large, luxurious bed, “fit for a god” (89). Ariadne reflects on her sacrifice—the laws she has broken and the ties she has severed—as Theseus leads her to bed.

The next morning, Ariadne immediately senses something is wrong. The house is silent and empty, and Theseus is gone. Ariadne goes to the shore and watches in disbelief as his ship sails away toward Athens. Its sails are still black, and as Theseus’s father Aegeus told him to change them to white if he returned victorious, Ariadne wonders if Theseus has died or simply abandoned her. She is left completely alone on Naxos.

Ariadne collects herself and searches the house for answers. She finds that the men have left her enough food and supplies for only five or six days. She wonders if her father will look for her to punish her, but she quickly realizes that leaving her stranded here would be punishment enough. Ariadne spends her days walking aimlessly and rationing her few supplies until she notices grapes growing near the house. Though briefly hopeful, she then screams with despair and rage as it dawns on her that she is truly stranded. She tears the grapes down from the vines in her anger.