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Androgeus　having　been　treacherously　murdered　in　the　confines　of
Attica；　not　only　Minos；　his　father；　put　the　Athenians　to　extreme
distress　by　a　perpetual　war；　but　the　gods　also　laid　waste　their
country；　both　famine　and　pestilence　lay　heavy　upon　them；　and　even
their　rivers　were　dried　up。　Being　told　by　the　oracle　that；　if　they
appeased　and　reconciled　Minos；　the　anger　of　the　gods　would　cease　and
they　should　enjoy　rest　from　the　miseries　they　laboured　under；　they
sent　heralds；　and　with　much　supplication　were　at　last　reconciled；
entering　into　an　agreement　to　send　to　Crete　every　nine　years　a　tribute
of　seven　young　men　and　as　many　virgins；　as　most　writers　agree　in
stating；　and　the　most　poetical　story　adds；　that　the　Minotaur　destroyed
them；　or　that；　wandering　in　the　labyrinth；　and　finding　no　possible
means　of　getting　out；　they　miserably　ended　their　lives　there；　and　that
this　Minotaur　was　（as　Euripides　hath　it）…

　　　　　　　　〃A　mingled　form　where　two　strange　shapes　combined；
　　　　　　　　And　different　natures；　bull　and　man；　were　joined。〃

But　Philochorus　says　that　the　Cretans　will　by　no　means　allow　the　truth
of　this；　but　say　that　the　labyrinth　was　only　an　ordinary　prison；
having　no　other　bad　quality　but　that　it　secured　the　prisoners　from
escaping；　and　that　Minos；　having　instituted　games　in　honour　of
Androgeus；　gave；　as　a　reward　to　the　victors；　these　youths；　who　in
the　meantime　were　kept　in　the　labyrinth；　and　that　the　first　that
overcame　in　those　games　was　one　of　the　greatest　power　and　command
among　them；　named　Taurus；　a　man　of　no　merciful　or　gentle
disposition；　who　treated　the　Athenians　that　were　made　his　prize　in　a
proud　and　cruel　manner。　Also　Aristotle　himself；　in　the　account　that　he
gives　of　the　form　of　government　of　the　Bottiaeans；　is　manifestly　of
opinion　that　the　youths　were　not　slain　by　Minos；　but　spent　the
remainder　of　their　days　in　slavery　in　Crete；　that　the　Cretans；　in
former　times；　to　acquit　themselves　of　an　ancient　vow　which　they　had
made；　were　used　to　send　an　offering　of　the　first…fruits　of　their　men
to　Delphi；　and　that　some　descendants　of　these　Athenian　slaves　were
mingled　with　them　and　sent　amongst　them；　and；　unable　to　get　their
living　there；　removed　from　thence；　first　into　Italy；　and　settled　about
Japygia；　from　thence　again；　that　they　removed　to　Thrace；　and　were
named　Bottiaeans；　and　that　this　is　the　reason　why；　in　a　certain
sacrifice；　the　Bottiaean　girls　sing　a　hymn　beginning　Let　us　go　to
Athens。　This　may　show　us　how　dangerous　it　is　to　incur　the　hostility　of
a　city　that　is　mistress　of　eloquence　and　song。　For　Minos　was　always
ill　spoken　of；　and　represented　ever　as　a　very　wicked　man；　in　the
Athenian　theatres；　neither　did　Hesiod　avail　him　by　calling　him　〃the
most　royal　Minos；〃　nor　Homer；　who　styles　him　〃Jupiter's　familiar
friend；〃　the　tragedians　got　the　better；　and　from　the　vantage　ground　of
the　stage　showered　down　obloquy　upon　him；　as　a　man　of　cruelty　and
violence；　whereas；　in　fact；　he　appears　to　have　been　a　king　and　a
law…giver；　and　Rhadamanthus；　a　judge　under　him；　administering　the
statutes　that　he　ordained。
　　Now；　when　the　time　of　the　third　tribute　was　come；　and　the　fathers
who　had　any　young　men　for　their　sons　were　to　proceed　by　lot　to　the
choice　of　those　that　were　to　be　sent；　there　arose　fresh　discontents
and　accusations　against　Aegeus　among　the　people；　who　were　full　of
grief　and　indignation　that　he　who　was　the　cause　of　all　their
miseries　was　the　only　person　exempt　from　the　punishment；　adopting
and　settling　his　kingdom　upon　a　bastard　and　foreign　son；　he　took　no
thought；　they　said；　of　their　destitution　and　loss；　not　of　bastards；
but　lawful　children。　These　things　sensibly　affected　Theseus；　who；
thinking　it　but　just　not　to　disregard；　but　rather　partake　of；　the
sufferings　of　his　fellow…citizens；　offered　himself　for　one　without　any
lot。　All　else　were　struck　with　admiration　for　the　nobleness　and　with
love　for　the　goodness　of　the　act；　and　Aegeus；　after　prayers　and
entreaties；　finding　him　inflexible　and　not　to　be　persuaded；
proceeded　to　the　choosing　of　the　rest　by　lot。　Hellanicus；　however；
tells　us　that　the　Athenians　did　not　send　the　young　men　and　virgins
by　lot；　but　that　Minos　himself　used　to　come　and　make　his　own　choice；
and　pitched　upon　Theseus　before　all　others；　according　to　the
conditions　agreed　upon　between　them；　namely；　that　the　Athenians　should
furnish　them　with　a　ship　and　that　the　young　men　that　were　to　sail　with
him　should　carry　no　weapons　of　war；　but　that　if　the　Minotaur　was
destroyed；　the　tribute　should　cease。
　　On　the　two　former　occasions　of　the　payment　of　the　tribute；
entertaining　no　hopes　of　safety　or　return；　they　sent　out　the　ship　with
a　black　sail；　as　to　unavoidable　destruction；　but　now；　Theseus
encouraging　his　father；　and　speaking　greatly　of　himself；　as
confident　that　he　should　kill　the　Minotaur；　he　gave　the　pilot
another　sail；　which　was　white；　commanding　him；　as　he　returned；　if
Theseus　were　safe；　to　make　use　of　that；　but　if　not；　to　sail　with　the
black　one；　and　to　hang　out　that　sign　of　his　misfortune。　Simonides　says
that　the　sail　which　Aegeus　delivered　to　the　pilot　was　not　white；　but…

　　　　　　　　〃Scarlet；　in　the　juicy　bloom
　　　　　　　　Of　the　living　oak…tree　steeped；〃

and　that　this　was　to　be　the　sign　of　their　escape。　Phereclus；　son　of
Amarsyas；　according　to　Simonides；　was　pilot　of　the　ship。　But
Philochorus　says　Theseus　had　sent　him　by　Scirus；　from　Salamis；
Nausithous　to　be　his　steersman；　and　Phaeax　his　look…out…man　in　the
prow；　the　Athenians　having　as　yet　not　applied　themselves　to
navigation；　and　that　Scirus　did　this　because　one　of　the　young　men；
Menesthes；　was　his　daughter's　son；　and　this　the　chapels　of
Nausithous　and　Phaeax；　built　by　Theseus　near　the　temple　of　Scirus；
confirm。　He　adds；　also；　that　the　feast　named　Cybernesia　was　in
honour　of　them。　The　lot　being　cast；　and　Theseus　having　received　out　of
the　Prytaneum　those　upon　whom　it　fell；　he　went　to　the　Delphinium；
and　made　an　offering　for　them　to　Apollo　of　his　suppliant's　badge；
which　was　a　bough　of　a　consecrated　olive　tree；　with　white　wool　tied
about　it。
　　Having　thus　performed　his　devotion；　he　went　to　sea；　the　sixth　day　of
Munychion；　on　which　day　even　to　this　time　the　Athenians　send　their
virgins　to　the　same　temple　to　make　supplication　to　the　gods。　It　is
farther　reported　that　he　was　commanded　by　the　oracle　of　Delphi　to　make
Venus　his　guide；　and　to　invoke　her　as　the　companion　and　conductress　of
his　voyage　and　that；　as　he　was　sacrificing　a　she　goat　to　her　by　the
sea…side；　it　was　suddenly　changed　into　a　he；　and　for　this　cause　that
goddess　had　the　name　of　Epitragia。
　　When　he　arrived　at　Crete；　as　most　of　the　ancient　historians　as
well　as　poets　tell　us；　having　a　clue　of　thread　given　him　by　Ariadne；
who　had　fallen　in　love　with　him；　and　being　instructed　by　her　how　to
use　it　so　as　to　conduct　him　through　the　windings　of　the　labyrinth；
he　escaped　out　of　it　and　slew　the　Minotaur；　and　sailed　back；　taking
along　with　him　Ariadne　and　the　young　Athenian　captives。　Phercydes　adds
that　he　bored　holes　in　the　bottom　of　the　Cretan　ships　to　hinder
their　pursuit。　Demon　writes　that　Taurus；　the　chief　captain　of　Minos；
was　slain　by　Theseus　at　the　mouth　of　the　port；　in　a　naval　combat　as　he
was　sailing　out　for　Athens。　But　Philochorus　gives　us　the　story　thus：
That　at　the　setting　forth　of　the　yearly　games　by　King　Minos；　Taurus
was　expected　to　carry　away　the　prize；　as　he　had　done　before；　and　was
much　grudged　the　honour。　His　character　and　manners　made　his　power
hateful；　and　he　was　accused　moreover　of　too　near　familiarity　with
Pasiphae；　for　which　reason；　when　Theseus　desired　the　combat；　Minos
readily　complied。　And　as　it　was　a　custom　in　Crete　that　the　women
also　should　be　admitted　to　the　sight　of　these　games；　Ariadne；　being
present；　was　struck　with　admiration　of　the　manly　beauty　of　Theseus；
and　the　vigour　and　address　which　he　showed　in　the　combat；　overcoming
all　that　encountered　with　him。　Minos；　too；　being　extremely　pleased
with　him；　especially　because　he　had　overthrown　and　disgraced　Taurus；
voluntarily　gave　up　the　young　captives　to　Theseus；　and　remitted　the
tribute　to　the　Athenians。　Clidemus　gives　an　account　peculiar　to
himself；　very　ambitiously；　and　beginning　a　great　way　back：　That　it　was
a　decree　consented　to　by　all　Greece；　that　no　vessel　from　any　place；
containing　above　five　persons；　should　be　permitted　to　sail；　Jason　only
excepted；　who　was　made　captain　of　the　great　ship　Argo；　to　sail　about
and　scour　the　sea　of　pirates。　But　Daedalus　having　escaped　from
Crete；　and　flying　by　sea　to　Athens；　Minos；　contrary　to　this　decree；
pursued　him　with　his　ships　of　war；　was　forced　by　a　storm　upon
Sicily；　and　there　ended　his　life。　After　his　decease；　Deucalion；　his
son；　desiring　a　quarrel　with　the　Athenians；　sent　to　them；　demanding
that　they　should　deliver　up　Daedalus　to　him；　threatening　upon　their
refusal；　to　put　to　death　all　the　young　Athenians　whom　his　father　had
received　as　hostages　from　the　city。　To　this　angry　message　Theseus
returned　a　very　gentle　answer　excusing　himself　that　he　could　not
deliver　up　Daedalus；　who　was　nearly　related　to　him；　being　his
cousin…german；　his　mother　being　Merope；　the　daughter　of　Erechtheus。　In
the　meanwhile　he　secretly　prepared　a　navy；　part　of　it　at　home　near　the
village　of　the　Thymoetadae；　a　place　of　no　resort；　and　far　from　any
common　roads；　the　other　part　by　his　grandfather　Pittheus's　means　at
Troezen；　that　so　his　design　might　be　carried　on　with　the　greatest
secrecy。　As　soon　as　ever　his　fleet　was　in　readiness；　he　set　sail；
having　with　him　Daedalus　and　other　exiles　from　Crete　for　his　guides；
and　none　of　the　Cretans　having　any　knowledge　of　his　coming；　but
imagining　when　they　saw　his　fleet　that　they　were　friends　and　vessels
of　their　own；　he　soon　made　himself　master　of　the　port；　and　immediately
making　a　descent；　reached　Gnossus　before　any　notice　of　his　coming；
and；　in　a　battle　before　the　gates　of　the　labyrinth；　put　Deucalion
and　all　his　guards　to　the　sword。　The　government　by　this　means
falling　to　Ariadne；　he　made　a　league　with　her；　and　received　the
captives　of　her；　and　ratified　a　perpetual　friendship　between　the
Athenians　and　the　Cretans；　whom　he　engaged　under　an　oath　never　again
to　commence　any　war　with　Athens。
　　There　are　yet　many　other　traditio