Bulfinch’s Mythology · Chapter
Theseus—Daedalus—Castor and Pollux explained
The chapter recounts the myth of Theseus, son of Aegeus, who proves his heroism by overcoming robbers like Periphetes and Procrustes, then volunteers as tribute to Crete to slay the Minotaur with Ariadne's help.
What happens
The chapter recounts the myth of Theseus, son of Aegeus, who proves his heroism by overcoming robbers like Periphetes and Procrustes, then volunteers as tribute to Crete to slay the Minotaur with Ariadne's help. After abandoning Ariadne, he returns to Athens but forgets to change his sails, causing his father's suicide. It also covers his exploits against the Amazons, his friendship with Pirithous, his marriage to Phaedra and the tragic fate of Hippolytus, and the story of Castor and Pollux, who share immortality alternately and are placed among the stars as Gemini.
Themes in this chapter
Heroism and the Quest
Theseus undertakes a perilous journey to Athens, defeats monsters and tyrants, and volunteers to slay the Minotaur, embodying the heroic quest.
Fate and Free Will
Theseus's choice to sail under black sails and his forgetfulness lead to Aegeus's suicide, illustrating the interplay of fate and personal action.
Love and Transformation
Ariadne's love for Theseus aids his victory, but his abandonment transforms her fate; Phaedra's love turns to destructive hate.
Mortality and Immortality
Castor and Pollux share alternating life and death, and are placed among the stars, exploring the boundary between mortal and divine.
Characters to notice
- Theseus
Son of Aegeus, hero who slays the Minotaur, abandons Ariadne, fights Amazons, and later dies in Scyros.
- Medea
Sorceress who marries Aegeus and tries to poison Theseus, then flees to Asia.
- Jupiter
Father of Castor and Pollux; grants them alternating immortality and places them among the stars.
- Castor
One of the Dioscuri, slain in battle; shares immortality with his brother Pollux.
- Pollux
Twin brother of Castor; beseeches Jupiter to share his immortality with Castor.
- Ariadne
Daughter of Minos, helps Theseus with sword and thread, then is abandoned on Naxos.
- Hippolytus
Son of Theseus, falsely accused by Phaedra, killed by a sea-monster, later restored by Aesculapius.
- Phaedra
Daughter of Minos, marries Theseus, falsely accuses Hippolytus out of rejected love.
Key passages
“He had an iron bedstead, on which he used to tie all travellers who fell into his hands. If they were shorter than the bed, he stretched their limbs to make them fit it; if they were longer than the bed, he lopped off a portion.”
Procrustes forced travelers onto his iron bed, stretching or amputating them to match its length.
Describes the cruel method of Procrustes, which Theseus turns against him.
“Theseus resolved to deliver his countrymen from this calamity, or to die in the attempt. Accordingly, when the time of sending off the tribute came, and the youths and maidens were, according to custom, drawn by lot to be sent, he offered himself as one of the victims, in spite of the entreaties of his father.”
Determined to end the tribute, Theseus volunteered as a victim to face the Minotaur, ignoring his father's pleas.
Highlights Theseus's self-sacrifice and heroic resolve.
“She furnished him with a sword, with which to encounter the Minotaur, and with a clue of thread by which he might find his way out of the labyrinth.”
Ariadne gave Theseus a sword to kill the Minotaur and a ball of thread to navigate the labyrinth.
Key moment where Ariadne enables Theseus's success.
“Jupiter so far consented as to allow the two brothers to enjoy the boon of life alternately, passing one day under the earth and the next in the heavenly abodes.”
Jupiter granted Castor and Pollux alternating immortality, spending one day in Hades and the next among the gods.
Explains the unique shared immortality of the Dioscuri.
