Athenian tribute of youths and maidens

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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.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Athenian tribute of youths and maidens canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Greek mythological motif
legendary tribute
mythological human sacrifice
associatedWith Ariadne
King Aegeus
linked to: Aegeus

King Minos
linked to: 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 King Minos of Crete
linked to: Minos
influenced later literature on human sacrifice myths
involves Athenian maidens
Athenian youths
human sacrifice
languageOfOrigin Ancient Greek
narratedIn Apollodorus' Bibliotheca
Diodorus Siculus' Library of History
linked to: Diodorus Siculus

Hyginus' Fabulae
linked to: Fabulae

Plutarch's Life of Theseus
linked to: Life of Theseus
paidBy Athenians
King Aegeus of Athens
linked to: Aegeus
partOf Cretan cycle of Greek mythology
Minotaur myth
linked to: Minotaur

Theseus myth
linked to: myths of Theseus
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

How these facts were elicited

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