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In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "part man and part bull". He dwelt at the center of the Labyrinth, which was an elaborate
maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lea ...
-like construction designed by the architect Daedalus and his son
Icarus In Greek mythology, Icarus (; grc, Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos suspe ...
, on the command of King Minos of Crete. The Minotaur was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus.


Etymology

The word ''minotaur'' derives from the Ancient Greek , a compound of the name (
Minos In Greek mythology, Minos (; grc-gre, Μίνως, ) was a King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten ...
) and the noun "bull", translated as "(the) Bull of Minos". In Crete, the Minotaur was known by the name Asterion, a name shared with Minos' foster-father. "Minotaur" was originally a proper noun in reference to this mythical figure. That is, there was only the one Minotaur. In contrast, the use of "minotaur" as a common noun to refer to members of a generic "species" of bull-headed creatures developed much later, in 20th century fantasy genre fiction. The Minotaur was called ''Θevrumineš'' in
Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan ...
. English pronunciation of the word "Minotaur" is varied. The following can be found in dictionaries: , , .


Creation and appearance

After ascending the throne of the island of Crete,
Minos In Greek mythology, Minos (; grc-gre, Μίνως, ) was a King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten ...
competed with his brothers as ruler. Minos prayed to the sea god Poseidon to send him a snow-white bull as a sign of the god's favour. Minos was to sacrifice the bull to honor Poseidon, but owing to the bull's beauty he decided instead to keep him. Minos believed that the god would accept a substitute sacrifice. To punish Minos, Poseidon made Minos' wife Pasiphaë fall in love with the bull. Pasiphaë had the craftsman Daedalus fashion a hollow wooden cow, which she climbed into in order to mate with the bull. The monstrous Minotaur was the result. Pasiphaë nursed the Minotaur but he grew in size and became ferocious. As the unnatural offspring of a woman and a beast, the Minotaur had no natural source of nourishment and thus devoured humans for sustenance. Minos, following advice from the oracle at
Delphi Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The oracle ...
, had Daedalus construct a gigantic Labyrinth to hold the Minotaur. Its location was near Minos's palace in Knossos. The Minotaur is commonly represented in Classical art with the body of a man and the head and tail of a bull. According to Sophocles's ''
Trachiniai ''Women of Trachis'' or ''The Trachiniae'' ( grc, Τραχίνιαι, ) c. 450–425 BC, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. ''Women of Trachis'' is generally considered to be less developed than Sophocles' other works, and its dating has been ...
'', when the river spirit Achelous seduced
Deianira Deianira, Deïanira, or Deianeira (; Ancient Greek: Δηϊάνειρα, ''Dēiáneira'', or , ''Dēáneira'', ), also known as Dejanira, is a Calydonian princess in Greek mythology whose name translates as "man-destroyer" or "destroyer of her hu ...
, one of the guises he assumed was a man with the head of a bull. From classical antiquity through the Renaissance, the Minotaur appears at the center of many depictions of the Labyrinth. Ovid's Latin account of the Minotaur, which did not describe which half was bull and which half man, was the most widely available during the Middle Ages, and several later versions show a man's head and torso on a bull's body – the reverse of the Classical configuration, reminiscent of a
centaur A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as being ...
. This alternative tradition survived into the Renaissance, and is reflected in Dryden's elaborated translation of Virgil's description of the Minotaur in Book VI of the '' Aeneid'': "The lower part a beast, a man above / The monument of their polluted love." It still figures in some modern depictions, such as
Steele Savage Harry Steele Savage (1898–1970) was an American illustrator, primarily of books for children and young adults. Professional career Savage was born on December 21, 1898, in Central Lake, Michigan to Irish and French Canadian immigrants, Flora ...
's illustrations for Edith Hamilton's '' Mythology'' (1942).


Theseus myth

All the stories agree that prince
Androgeus Androgeos or Androgeus (Ancient Greek: Ἀνδρόγεως, la, Androgeum or Androgeōs derived from ''andros'' "of a man" and ''geos'', genitive ''gē'' "earth, land") was the name of two individuals in Classical mythology. * Androgeus, son of ...
, son of King Minos, died and that the fault lay with the Athenians. The sacrifice of young Athenian men and women was a penalty for his death. In some versions he was killed by the
Athenians Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...
because of their jealousy of the victories he had won at the
Panathenaic Games The Panathenaic Games ( grc, Παναθήναια) were held every four years in Athens in Ancient Greece from 566 BC to the 3rd century AD. These Games incorporated religious festival, ceremony (including prize-giving), athletic competitions, a ...
; in others he was killed at
Marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
by the Cretan Bull, his mother's former taurine lover, because Aegeus, king of Athens, had commanded Androgeus to slay it. The common tradition holds that Minos waged a war of revenge for the death of his son, and won. The consequence of Athens losing the war was the regular sacrifice of several of their youths and maidens. In his account of the Minotaur's birth, Catullus refers to yet another version in which Athens was "compelled by the cruel plague to pay penalties for the killing of Androgeon". To avert a plague caused by divine retribution for the Cretan prince's death, Aegeus had to send into the Labyrinth "young men at the same time as the best of unwed girls as a feast" for the Minotaur. Some accounts declare that Minos required seven Athenian youths and seven maidens, chosen by lots, to be sent every seventh year (or ninth); some versions say every year. When the time for the third sacrifice approached, the Athenian prince Theseus volunteered to slay the monster. He promised his father Aegeus that he would change the somber black sail of the boat carrying the victims from Athens to Crete, and put up a white sail for his return journey if he was successful; the crew would leave up the black sail if he was killed. In Crete, Minos's daughter Ariadne fell madly in love with Theseus and helped him navigate the Labyrinth. In most accounts she gave him a ball of thread, allowing him to retrace his path. According to various classical sources and representations, Theseus killed the Minotaur with his bare hands, sometimes with a club or a sword. He then led the Athenians out of the Labyrinth, and they sailed with Ariadne away from Crete. On the way home, Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos and continued to Athens. The returning group neglected to replace the black sail with the promised white sail, and from his lookout on Cape Sounion, King Aegeus saw the black-sailed ship approach. Presuming his son dead, he killed himself by leaping into the sea that is since named after him. His death secured the throne for Theseus.


Interpretations

The contest between Theseus and the Minotaur was frequently represented in Greek art. A Knossian didrachm exhibits on one side the Labyrinth, on the other the Minotaur surrounded by a semicircle of small balls, probably intended for stars; one of the monster's names was Asterion or Asterius ("star").
Pasiphaë gave birth to Asterius, who was called the Minotaur. He had the face of a bull, but the rest of him was human; and Minos, in compliance with certain oracles, shut him up and guarded him in the Labyrinth.
While the ruins of Minos' palace at Knossos were discovered, the Labyrinth never was. The multiplicity of rooms, staircases and corridors in the palace has led some archaeologists to suggest that the palace itself was the source of the Labyrinth myth, with over 1300 maze-like compartments, an idea that is now generally discredited. Homer, describing the
shield of Achilles The shield of Achilles is the shield that Achilles uses in his fight with Hector, famously described in a passage in Book 18, lines 478–608 of Homer's ''Iliad''. The intricately detailed imagery on the shield has inspired many different interpr ...
, remarked that Daedalus had constructed a ceremonial dancing ground for Ariadne, but does not associate this with the term ''labyrinth''. Some 19th century mythologists proposed that the Minotaur was a personification of the sun and a Minoan adaptation of the Baal- Moloch of the Phoenicians. The slaying of the Minotaur by Theseus in that case could be interpreted as a memory of Athens breaking tributary relations with Minoan Crete. According to
A.B. Cook Arthur Bernard Cook (22 October 1868 in Hampstead – 26 April 1952 in Cambridge) was a British archeologist and classical scholar, best known for his three-part work, ''Zeus: A Study in Ancient Religion''. Early life and education Arthur Bern ...
, ''Minos'' and ''Minotaur'' were different forms of the same personage, representing the
sun-god A solar deity or sun deity is a deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it. Such deities are usually associated with power and strength. Solar deities and Sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The ...
of the Cretans, who depicted the sun as a bull. He and
J. G. Frazer Sir James George Frazer (; 1 January 1854 – 7 May 1941) was a Scottish social anthropologist and folklorist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion. Personal life He was born on 1 Janua ...
both explain Pasiphaë's union with the bull as a sacred ceremony, at which the queen of Knossos was wedded to a bull-formed god, just as the wife of the Tyrant in Athens was wedded to
Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
. E. Pottier, who does not dispute the historical personality of Minos, in view of the story of
Phalaris Phalaris ( el, Φάλαρις) was the tyrant of Akragas (now Agrigento) in Sicily, from approximately 570 to 554 BC. History Phalaris was renowned for his excessive cruelty. Among his alleged atrocities is cannibalism: he was said to have e ...
, considers it probable that in Crete (where a
bull cult Due to the multiple benefits from cattle, there are varying beliefs about cattle in societies and religions. In some regions, especially most states of India, the slaughter of cattle is prohibited and their meat may be taboo. Cattle are conside ...
may have existed by the side of that of the labrys) victims were tortured by being shut up in the belly of a red-hot
brazen bull The brazen bull, also known as the bronze bull, Sicilian bull, or bull of Phalaris, was a torture and execution device designed in ancient Greece. According to Diodorus Siculus, recounting the story in '' Bibliotheca historica'', Perilaus (or P ...
. The story of Talos, the Cretan man of brass, who heated himself red-hot and clasped strangers in his embrace as soon as they landed on the island, is probably of similar origin. Karl Kerenyi viewed the Minotaur, or Asterios, as a god associated with stars, comparable to
Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
. Coins minted at
Cnossus Knossos (also Cnossos, both pronounced ; grc, Κνωσός, Knōsós, ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city. Settled as early as the Neolithic period, the na ...
from the fifth century showed labyrinth patterns encircling a goddess' head crowned with a wreath of grain, a bull's head, or a star. Kerenyi argued that the star in the Labyrinth was in fact Asterios, making the Minotaur a "luminous" deity in Crete, associated with a goddess known as the Mistress of the Labyrinth. A historical explanation of the myth refers to the time when Crete was the main political and cultural potency in the Aegean Sea. As the fledgling Athens (and probably other continental Greek cities) was under tribute to Crete, it can be assumed that such tribute included young men and women for sacrifice. This ceremony was performed by a priest disguised with a bull head or mask, thus explaining the imagery of the Minotaur. Once continental Greece was free from Crete's dominance, the myth of the Minotaur worked to distance the forming religious consciousness of the Hellene '' poleis'' from Minoan beliefs. A geological interpretation also exists. Citing early descriptions of the minotaur by Callimachus as being entirely focused on the "cruel bellowing" it made from its underground labyrinth, and the extensive tectonic activity in the region, science journalist Matt Kaplan has theorised that the myth may well stem from geology.


Image gallery

File:Tondo Minotaur London E4 MAN.jpg, The Minotaur, tondo of an Attic bilingual kylix. File:Kylix Theseus Minotauros Louvre F83.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur, attic black-figure kylix tondo, ca. 450–440 BC. File:Theseus Castellani Louvre E850.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur. Detail from an Attic black-figure amphora, ca. 575 BC–550 BC. File:Theseus_Minotauros_Staatliche_Antikensammlungen_SL471.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur. Side A from an Attic red-figure stamnos, ca. 460 BC. File:Theseus Minotaur Louvre F33.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur. Side A from a black-figure Attic amphora, ca. 540 BC. File:Kylix Theseus Aison MNA Inv11365 n1.jpg, Tondo of the Aison Cup, showing the victory of Theseus over the Minotaur in the presence of Athena. File:Theseus Minotauros Louvre CA2254.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur. Attic black-figure lekythos, 500–475 BC. From Crimea. File:Theseus Minotauros Louvre G67.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur. Attic red-figured plate, 520–510 BC. File:Theseus Minotaur Mosaic.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur File:Minotaur.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur File:183-Thesee-tuant-le-Minotaure MNA.jpg, Theseus and the Minotaur


Cultural references


Dante's ''Inferno''

The Minotaur (''infamia di Creti'', Italian for "infamy of Crete"), appears briefly in Dante's '' Inferno'', in Canto 12 (l. 12–13, 16–21), where Dante and his guide Virgil find themselves picking their way among boulders dislodged on the slope and preparing to enter into the
seventh circle of hell ''Inferno'' (; Italian for "Hell") is the first part of Italian writer Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem ''Divine Comedy''. It is followed by ''Purgatorio'' and '' Paradiso''. The ''Inferno'' describes Dante's journey through Hell, gui ...
. Dante and Virgil encounter the beast first among the "men of blood": those damned for their violent natures. Some commentators believe that Dante, in a reversal of classical tradition, bestowed the beast with a man's head upon a bull's body, though this representation had already appeared in the Middle Ages. :'' Inferno'', Canto XII, lines 16–20 :Lo savio mio inver' lui gridò: "Forse :tu credi che qui sia 'l duca d'Atene, :che sú nel mondo la morte ti porse? :Pártiti, bestia, ché questi non vene :ammaestrato da la tua sorella, :ma vassi per veder la vostre pene." :English translation :My sage cried out to him: "You think, :perhaps, this is the Duke of Athens, :who in the world put you to death. :Get away, you beast, for this man :does not come tutored by your sister; :he comes to view your punishments." In these lines, Virgil taunts the Minotaur in order to distract him, and reminds the Minotaur that he was killed by Theseus the Duke of Athens with the help of the monster's half-sister Ariadne. The Minotaur is the first infernal guardian whom Virgil and Dante encounter within the walls of
Dis Dis, DIS or variants may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Dis'' (album), by Jan Garbarek, 1976 * ''Dís'', a soundtrack album by Jóhann Jóhannsson, 2004 * "Dis", a song by The Gazette from the 2003 album ''Hankou Seimeibun'' * "dis ...
. The Minotaur seems to represent the entire zone of Violence, much as
Geryon In Greek mythology, Geryon ( or ;"Geryon"
''
Giovanni Boccaccio Giovanni Boccaccio (, , ; 16 June 1313 – 21 December 1375) was an Italian writer, poet, correspondent of Petrarch, and an important Renaissance humanist. Born in the town of Certaldo, he became so well known as a writer that he was somet ...
writes of the Minotaur in his literary commentary of the Commedia: "When he had grown up and become a most ferocious animal, and of incredible strength, they tell that Minos had him shut up in a prison called the labyrinth, and that he had sent to him there all those whom he wanted to die a cruel death". Dante Gabriel Rossetti, in his own commentary, compares the Minotaur with all three sins of violence within the seventh circle: "The Minotaur, who is situated at the rim of the tripartite circle, fed, according to the poem was biting himself (violence against oneself) and was conceived in the 'false cow' (violence against nature, daughter of God)." Virgil and Dante then pass quickly by to the
centaur A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse. Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as being ...
s (Nessus, Chiron and Pholus) who guard the Flegetonte ("river of blood"), to continue through the seventh Circle.


Surrealist art

* From 1933 to 1939, Albert Skira published an avant-garde literary magazine ''
Minotaure ''Minotaure'' was a Surrealist-oriented magazine founded by Albert Skira and E. Tériade in Paris and published between 1933 and 1939. ''Minotaure'' published on the plastic arts, poetry, and literature, avant garde, as well as articles on esoter ...
'', with covers featuring a Minotaur theme. The first issue had cover art by Pablo Picasso. Later covers included work by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst, and Diego Rivera. * Pablo Picasso made a series of etchings in the ''
Vollard Suite The ''Vollard Suite'' is a set of 100 etchings in the neoclassical style by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, produced from 1930-1937. Named after the art dealer who commissioned them, Ambroise Vollard (1866-1939), the suite is in a number of mu ...
'' showing the Minotaur being tormented, possibly inspired also by Spanish bullfighting. He also depicted a Minotaur in his 1933 etching ''
Minotaur Kneeling over Sleeping Girl ''Minotaur Kneeling over Sleeping Girl'' is a 1933 etching by Pablo Picasso. It is part of the ''Vollard Suite'' of 100 etchings (No. 93, Bloch 201, Baer 369). It is the first example among several works to be realized through the remaining part ...
'' and in his 1935 etching ''
Minotauromachy ''Minotauromachy'' (''La Minotauromachie'') is a 19.5 by 27.4” etching and engraving created by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in Paris in 1935. The etching and resulting prints, literally entitled ''Minotaur Battle'', feature many compositional a ...
''.


Television, literature and plays

* Argentine author
Julio Cortázar Julio Florencio Cortázar (26 August 1914 – 12 February 1984; ) was an Argentine, nationalized French novelist, short story writer, essayist, and translator. Known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, Cortázar influenced an ent ...
published the play ''Los reyes'' in 1949, which reinterprets the Minotaur's story. In the book, Ariadne is not in love with Theseus, but with her brother the Minotaur. * Mika Waltari's 1945 historical novel '' The Egyptian,'' set in the 12th century B.C., sees the main protagonist and his slave venture into the Cretan labyrinth in search of the protagonist's love interest, sacrificed to a Cretan god beforehand. Minotaur, in turn, is the name of the chief Cretan priest who wears a bull mask, which makes people confuse him for an actual human/bull hybrid upon first encounter in a dim light. *The short story ''
The House of Asterion "The House of Asterion" (original Spanish title: "") is a short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. The story was first published in 1947 in the literary magazine ''Los Anales de Buenos Aires'' and republished in Borges's short story c ...
'' by the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges gives the Minotaur's story from the monster's perspective. *
Mark Z. Danielewski Mark Z. Danielewski (; born March 5, 1966) is an American fiction author. He is most widely known for his debut novel ''House of Leaves'' (2000), which won the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award. His second novel, '' Only Revolu ...
's novel ''
House of Leaves ''House of Leaves'' is the debut novel by American author Mark Z. Danielewski, published in March 2000 by Pantheon Books. A bestseller, it has been translated into a number of languages, and is followed by a companion piece, '' The Whalestoe Let ...
'' features both the labyrinth and the Minotaur as prominent themes. *
Aleksey Ryabinin Aleksey Valerievich Ryabinin (russian: link=no, Алексей Валерьевич Рябинин, born April 3, 1970) is a Russian Public Ombudsman for Copyright and Intellectual Property. Russian economist, politician and writer. Member of th ...
's book ''Theseus'' (2018). provides a retelling of the myths of Theseus, Minotaur, Ariadne and other personages of Greek mythology. * ''
The Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...
'', an opera by Harrison Birtwistle. * ''
Minotauria ''Minotauria'' is a genus of Balkans, Balkan Dysderidae, woodlouse hunting spiders that was first described by Władysław Kulczyński in 1903. it contains only two species: ''M. attemsi'' and ''M. fagei''. In 1847, it was argued to be a synonym ...
'' is a genus of
Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
woodlouse hunting spiders named in its honor. * ''The Minotaur,'' a play by Anna Ziegler, is a modern take on the Greek myth first performed in 2012 at Synchronicity Theatre in Atlanta, GA.


Board and video games

* The popular role-playing game '' Dungeons & Dragons'' features Minotaurs. * ''
Madness and the Minotaur ''Madness and the Minotaur'' is a text adventure, published in 1981 for the TRS-80 Color Computer by Radio Shack in North America and by Microdeal in the United Kingdom. It was developed by Spectral Associates founder, Thomas Rosenbaum. A Dragon 32 ...
'' is a 1981 text adventure game for the TRS-80 Color Computer * The storyline of the 2017 virtual reality video game ''Theseus'' revolves around the titular hero's mission to defeat the Minotaur. * In '' Assassin's Creed: Odyssey'' (2018), there is a mission where the main character (Alexios or Kassandra) visits the ruins of the
Palace of Knossos Knossos (also Cnossos, both pronounced ; grc, Κνωσός, Knōsós, ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city. Settled as early as the Neolithic period, the na ...
in order to kill the Minotaur in the Labyrinth of the Lost Souls. Completing the mission grants the player the achievement "A-maze-ing Victory" on the Steam and Xbox platforms and a PlayStation trophy of the same name. *In the video game ''
Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...
'' (2020) by Supergiant Games, the protagonist defeats the Minotaur (named Asterius) in
Elysium Elysium (, ), otherwise known as the Elysian Fields ( grc, Ἠλύσιον πεδίον, ''Ēlýsion pedíon'') or Elysian Plains, is a conception of the afterlife that developed over time and was maintained by some Greek religious and philos ...
, where he fights beside Theseus. *In the turn-based strategy series ''
Heroes of Might & Magic ''Heroes of Might and Magic'', known as ''Might & Magic Heroes'' since 2011, is a series of video games originally created and developed by Jon Van Caneghem through New World Computing. As part of the ''Might and Magic'' franchise, the series ...
'', the Minotaur is a unit that is controllable by the player. Traditionally, they are sided with the Dungeon faction (Formerly the Warlock / Mountain faction). *In the mobile game '' Fate/Grand Order'', the Minotaur is named Asterios, and summonable as a Berserker-class Servant; this particular version of the character is shown with a child-like mentality and loves Euryale, one of the Gorgons. *In the '' Total War Saga: Troy'', In the campaign, the player can come across mythical units to recruit in their armies, one of which is the Minotaur. One of his recruiting locations can be found on the Crete. Minotaur is also available to play in the custom games. *The Castlevania series features minotaurs as enemies starting in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. *In the 2002 Ensemble Studios real-time strategy game
Age of Mythology ''Age of Mythology'' (''AoM'') is a real-time strategy video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released on October 30, 2002, in North America and a week later in Europe. A spin-off from the '' ...
, minotaurs can be trained and utilized in combat by Greek players who choose to worship Athena. * In King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow the protagonist has to defeat the Minotaur in order to escape the labyrinth * ''Teros'', one of the playable ''legends'' in
Brawlhalla ''Brawlhalla'' is a free-to-play fighting game developed by Blue Mammoth Games and published by Ubisoft for macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S & X, Android and iOS, with full cross-pla ...
, is a gladiator-driven adaptation of the minotaur. * The Minotaur appears as an enemy in
Miitopia ''Miitopia'' is a role-playing video game developed and published by Nintendo originally for the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS version was released in Japan in 2016 and worldwide the following year, with a remastered version being released for the N ...
, with three main alts. The first is the regular Minotaur, which is fought as a boss in the second kingdom, Neksdor. The second alt is the Blue Minotaur, which is mainly fought in the Dark Lord's Castle in Karkaton. Then, in the post-game area New Lumos, the First District boss is a Minotaur called King Cow, who is also fought in the Ground Floor of the dungeon in New Lumos, the Tower of Dread. all of them have the same moves, either using a AOE earthquake attack, or smacking a party member with their giant mallet. * League of Legends (2009) features a playable character named "Alistar", who is modeled after a Minotaur.


Film

*''
Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete ''Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete'' ( it, Teseo contro il Minotauro, lit=Theseus against the Minotaur) is a 1960 film based on the Greek legend of Theseus, the Athenian hero who is said to have slain a minotaur on Minoan Crete around 1500 or 14 ...
'', a 1960 Italian film directed by Silvio Amadio and starring Bob Mathias *''
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger ''Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger'' is a 1977 fantasy film directed by Sam Wanamaker and featuring stop-motion effects by Ray Harryhausen. The film stars Patrick Wayne, Taryn Power, Jane Seymour and Patrick Troughton. The third and final ''Sinba ...
'', a 1976 film directed by Sam Wanamaker with Peter Mayhew, in his film debut, as Minoton, a bronze Minotaur golem *A monster resembling the Minotaur (and named as such) appears in the 1981 film '' Time Bandits''. *''
Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...
'', a horror adaptation of the legend starring actor Tom Hardy as Theo (Theseus), released on DVD by Lions Gate in 2006 * Natalie Portman and Danny McBride team up to fight a minotaur while reclaiming a magical sword from a labyrinth in '' Your Highness'', released in 2008 by Universal Pictures. *In ''
Dave Made a Maze ''Dave Made a Maze'' is a 2017 American fantasy adventure comedy horror film directed by Bill Watterson, and starring Nick Thune, Meera Rohit Kumbhani, Kirsten Vangsness, Stephanie Allynne, James Urbaniak and John Hennigan. The film centers on th ...
'', An Origami Minotaur appears as the creature that lives in the eponymous maze.


See also

* Kao (bull) – a legendary chaotic bull in
Meitei mythology Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with tradi ...
, similar to Minotaur in character. *
Ox-Head and Horse-Face Ox-Head () and Horse-Face () are two guardians or types of guardians of the underworld in Chinese mythology. As indicated by their names, both have the bodies of men, but Ox-Head has the head of an ox while Horse-Face has the face of a horse. Th ...
– two guardians or types of guardians of the underworld in Chinese mythology. * Satyr – a legendary human-horse (later human-goat) hybrid(s) *
Shedu ''Lama'', ''Lamma'', or ''Lamassu'' (Cuneiform: , ; Sumerian: lammař; later in Akkadian: ''lamassu''; sometimes called a ''lamassus'') is an Assyrian protective deity. Initially depicted as a goddess in Sumerian times, when it was called ''La ...
– a figure in Mesopotamian mythology with the body of a bull and a human head *
Tikbalang The Tikbalang (/ˈtikbaˌlaŋ/) (also Tigbalang, Tigbalan, Tikbalan, Tigbolan, or Werehorse) is a creature of Philippine folklore said to lurk in the mountains and rainforests of the Philippines. It is a tall, bony humanoid creature with the he ...
– a creature of Philippine folklore with the head and hooves of a horse, usually depicted standing on its hind legs.


Footnotes


References


External links


Minotaur in Greek Myth
source Greek texts and art. {{Authority control Anthropomorphic animals Cattle in art Labours of Theseus Monsters in Greek mythology Mythological bovines Mythological human hybrids Cretan characters in Greek mythology Knossos