In Greek mythology, King Minos was a powerful ruler of Crete. He was the father of Ariadne, Phaedra, and Androgeus. Excavations in the city of Knossos have revealed a vast palace complex, which is identified as the palace of Minos.
Minos was the son of Zeus and Europa, the result of Zeus’s seduction or abduction of the beautiful Phoenician princess Europa. However, Zeus ensured that Europa married King Asterion of Crete, who adopted her sons: Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Sarpedon. When Asterion died, Minos inherited the throne.
His brothers opposed his rule, but Minos claimed that he had been chosen by the gods. As proof, he asked Poseidon to send him a bull, which he would then sacrifice in the god’s honor. Poseidon granted his request, and the most magnificent bull emerged from the sea. However, Minos found it so beautiful that he decided to keep it, sacrificing one of his own bulls instead, hoping that Poseidon would not notice.
Minos was ultimately accepted as the island’s king by both his people and his brothers. This took place a few generations before the Trojan War. Minos consolidated his power on the island and made Knossos his capital. Every ninth year, Minos traveled to Mount Ida—where Zeus had been raised—to consult him. Minos became the first ruler to dominate the Mediterranean, commanding a great fleet that kept the seas around Crete free from pirates.
Poseidon soon discovered Minos’s deception and became enraged. He transformed the bull into a wild beast that ravaged the island and caused Minos’s wife, Pasiphaë, to fall deeply in love with it.
Pasiphaë confided her feelings to Minos’s master builder, Daedalus, the famous architect and inventor. He constructed a wooden cow that allowed the queen to unite with the bull. The result was the Minotaur, a creature that was half bull and half human.
To conceal the scandal, King Minos ordered Daedalus to build a labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur. The labyrinth was designed to be so intricate that escape would be impossible.
Minos lost his son Androgeus during ritual games in Athens. Suspecting that King Aegeus was responsible for his death, Minos declared war on Athens. With the help of his father, Zeus, he emerged victorious.
King Aegeus consulted the Oracle at Delphi, who advised him to comply with Minos’s demands. As compensation for his son’s death, Minos required that Athens send seven young men and seven young women to Crete each year. They were locked inside the labyrinth, where the Minotaur devoured them. This continued for several years.
On his way back from the Oracle at Delphi, King Aegeus visited another Greek ruler. During a festive drinking celebration, Aegeus ended up in bed with the king’s daughter, who had also been visited by Poseidon.
The next morning, Aegeus asked the woman not to reveal his identity to the child if she became pregnant. She later gave birth to a son, whom she named Theseus.
When Theseus grew up, his mother took him to a large rock, which he lifted with ease. Underneath, he found a sword that King Aegeus had left behind for him. Theseus then set out for Athens to meet his father.
Upon reaching Athens, he learned about the dreadful Minotaur and the annual sacrifice of young Athenians. Determined to put an end to this, he volunteered to go.
Before he left, he promised his father, King Aegeus, that if he succeeded in killing the Minotaur, he would return with a white sail instead of the black one.
Upon arriving in Crete, Theseus met King Minos’s daughter, the beautiful Ariadne, who fell in love with him. She promised to help him find his way out of the labyrinth if he agreed to marry her. Theseus accepted her offer, and she gave him a ball of thread, which he tied to the entrance.
Entering the labyrinth, Theseus found the sleeping Minotaur and killed it. He then led the other victims back to the entrance by following the thread.
Theseus fled Crete with Ariadne and the rescued Athenians. On their journey home, they stopped at the island of Naxos. There are differing accounts as to whether Theseus abandoned Ariadne there or if she fell in love with the god Dionysus and chose to stay behind.
Drunk on his victory, Theseus forgot to raise the white sail. Seeing the black sail from afar, King Aegeus believed his son was dead and threw himself into the sea, which has since been known as the Aegean Sea. Theseus later became king of Athens following his father’s death.
Gl. Ryvej 2, Rodelund
DK-8653 Them
Gl. Ryvej 2, Rodelund
DK-8653 Them
At Labyrinthia, you can choose to buy food in the café and eat it indoors or outside on the south-facing terrace.
You can also bring your own food and eat it outside.
We also have two large gas grills, so you can grill your own food if you wish.
NB: There is a free “doggy bar” (fresh water) for our thirsty four-legged guests.
In the café, we offer a delicious selection of food and drinks. Enjoy freshly made sandwiches, hot dogs, fish and chips, barista coffee, slush ice, ice cream, and much more.
Create the ideal setting for your next school event, activity, or gathering with our cozy tent – perfect for outdoor teaching, teacher days, field trips, and more.
The tent accommodates up to 64 people, and you can rent the entire tent for 500 DKK or just half of it (max. 32 people) for 250 DKK, if the tent is shared with another event.
Contact us to learn more about how our tent can be used for your school or institution! Most things can be arranged.
Call us at 86 84 99 44 or send an email to labyrinthia@labyrinthia.dk
In the Puzzle Center, you will find logic games, puzzles, and educational games in various difficulty levels. The old stable building has been converted into a cozy showroom or "Puzzle Center," as we also call it.
With over 50 different tasks and games, there is something for the whole family – from beginners to experienced players. Set aside plenty of time, as it can be hard to tear yourself away from the many exciting challenges once you're started!
