|
Ariadne was the daughter of King
Minos of Crete, who attacked Athens after his son was
murdered there. The Athenians submitted and had to
sacrifice 14 youths to the Minotaur in his labyrinth
every year. She fell in love with Theseus, a young man
who volunteered to come and kill the Minotaur, and helped
him by giving him a magic sword and a ball of thread so
that he could easily find his way out. She ran away with
Theseus after he achieved his goal. But he left her
sleeping on the island of Naxos, and Dionysus wedded her
himself.
Ariadne was originally a fertility goddess from Crete.
She was especially worshipped on Naxos, Delos, Cyprus and
in Athens. The Romans honored her as Libera. |
|