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Theseus
The ancient Greek myths exposed many aspects of their male society. The focus
of today are the different ideas of what was accepted and approved of back then. In order
to show you this, examples will be taken from the story Theseus.
The expectations of male youth were to be strong and brave. At the early age of
fifteen, Theseus proves his strength by lifting a huge boulder and finding his father’s sword
and a pair of sandals underneath it. On his way to Athens, Theseus encounters evil and
courageously fights worthy opponents, killing atrocious monsters in all shapes and forms.
He is looked respected because his father is high in social status and power. Fighting the
Minotaur is a quest the young man goes on to save the people of Athens. Sacrificing
yourself in the name of your people and bravery are looked upon with admiration from
Greek society. Marriage is a virtue. Even though King Aegeus and Aethra are with each
other once, they still manage to hold the sacred title by secretly marrying one another.
Typical forms of unacceptable behavior were overexcessive pride and distraction.
A major tragedy in the story occurs as a result of Theseus’ forgetfulness. He is so
preoccupied about leaving Ariadne on the island of Naxos, that he forgets to hoist up the
white sail of victory. Theseus’ father plunges to his death thinking his son is dead after
seeing the black sail on the incoming vessel. The lesson of his carelessness carries a high
toll. This illustrates on how important it is in the culture that a young man does not forget
basic logic. Theseus’ downfall is his thinking that he was the bravest king alive. As a
result, Theseus and his Peirithous end up trapped in Hades.
The lessons behind the story tell much about the values of people of Ancient
Greece. The myths are stories resulting with severe consequences, telling men how to be.
Theseus is a message to the that they could either be high up in Mount Olympus if they do
great things, or in consequence end up eternally suffering in the underworld.
Word Count: 357
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