Athenian tribute of youths and maidens

E126203

The Athenian tribute of youths and maidens was a legendary periodic sacrifice of Athenian children sent to Crete to be devoured by the Minotaur, forming the backdrop for Theseus’s heroic slaying of the monster.

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All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Athenian tribute of youths and maidens canonical 1

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Greek mythological motif
legendary tribute
mythological human sacrifice
associatedWith Ariadne
Aegeus
surface form: King Aegeus

Minos
surface form: King Minos

Minotaur
Poseidon
Theseus
connectedTo Labyrinth built by Daedalus
culture Ancient Greek religion and mythology
endedBy Theseus
genre heroic legend
hasCause Athenian defeat by Crete
death of Androgeos
hasDestination Crete
Labyrinth
hasLocation Athens
hasNumberOfVictimsPerTribute seven maidens
seven youths
hasOutcome end of the tribute
slaying of the Minotaur by Theseus
hasPeriodicity every nine years
every seven or nine years (variant traditions)
hasTheme heroic self-sacrifice
monstrous devourer of youth
tyranny and resistance
imposedBy Minos
surface form: King Minos of Crete
influenced later literature on human sacrifice myths
involves Athenian maidens
Athenian youths
human sacrifice
languageOfOrigin Ancient Greek
narratedIn Apollodorus' Bibliotheca
Diodorus Siculus
surface form: Diodorus Siculus' Library of History

Fabulae
surface form: Hyginus' Fabulae

Life of Theseus
surface form: Plutarch's Life of Theseus
paidBy Athenians
Aegeus
surface form: King Aegeus of Athens
partOf Cretan cycle of myths
surface form: Cretan cycle of Greek mythology

Minotaur
surface form: Minotaur myth

myths of Theseus
surface form: Theseus myth
relatedWork Athenian ship of Theseus ritual
symbolizes fear of foreign domination
initiation and coming-of-age themes
political subjugation of Athens to Crete
takesPlaceIn mythic past
victimsOf Minotaur

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Minos associatedEvent Athenian tribute of youths and maidens