Minos facts for kids
Minos was a famous king from ancient Greek stories. He was said to be the very first king of Crete, an island in Greece. In these myths, Minos was the son of the powerful god Zeus and a princess named Europa. It's important to remember that these are just myths, not real historical events.
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King Minos and His Rule
King Minos was known for his strict rules. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus of Athens send seven young boys and seven young girls to Crete. These young people were sent into a huge maze called the labyrinth. This maze was built by a clever inventor named Daedalus. Inside the labyrinth lived a scary creature called the Minotaur. The Minotaur was half-human and half-bull, and it was said to eat the young people sent to it.
After he died, the myths say Minos became a judge in the underworld. He would decide what happened to the souls of the dead.
Minos, the Gods, and the Minotaur
Minos once had a wife named Pasophae. Minos angered the Greek gods because he did not keep a promise. He had promised the sea god Poseidon that he would sacrifice a beautiful bull that Poseidon had given him. But Minos decided to keep the special bull and sacrificed a different one instead.
To punish Minos, Poseidon made Pasophae fall in love with the beautiful bull. Pasophae was very upset and asked Daedalus for help. Daedalus built a special wooden cow for her. Pasophae used this wooden cow, and later she had a child. This child was the Minotaur, a creature that was half-human and half-bull.
King Minos was not happy about the Minotaur. He asked Daedalus to build a huge maze, the labyrinth, to keep the creature hidden. Minos then put the Minotaur inside this complex maze.
The Hero Theseus
When Minos controlled all of Crete, he continued to demand that fourteen young people be sent to him. These young people were meant to be sacrificed to the Minotaur. A brave hero named Theseus volunteered to be one of them. He traveled to Crete to face the Minotaur.
When Theseus arrived, Minos's daughter, Ariadne, fell in love with him. Ariadne helped Theseus find his way through the labyrinth. With her help, Theseus was able to kill the Minotaur inside the maze.
Minos's Legacy
Many years later, a famous archaeologist named Arthur Evans discovered an ancient civilization on Crete. He named this civilization the Minoan civilization after the mythical King Minos. Evans found and dug up the amazing palace of Knossos in Crete. This palace is believed to be the center of the ancient Minoan culture.
Images for kids
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A group of figures from a famous painting, with Minos shown on the right
See also
In Spanish: Minos para niños
