Theseus & Ariadne
The thread that saved him, the love he abandoned
The Cretan princess Ariadne falls in love with Theseus and gives him the thread with which he escapes the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur; he flees with her, then abandons her asleep on the island of Naxos.
01Why it matters
It is the myth of the woman who saves the hero and is betrayed; "Ariadne's thread" is a universal metaphor.
02The conflict
Theseus's ingratitude and the abandonment on Naxos.
03The iconic moment
Ariadne waking alone on the shore as Theseus's ship sails away.
04What survived
The "Ariadne's thread"; Titian's "Bacchus and Ariadne."
05Frequently asked questions
Why is the story of Theseus & Ariadne famous?
It is the myth of the woman who saves the hero and is betrayed; "Ariadne's thread" is a universal metaphor.
How does the story of Theseus & Ariadne end?
Ariadne waking alone on the shore as Theseus's ship sails away. The "Ariadne's thread"; Titian's "Bacchus and Ariadne."
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