Caroline Lawrence

And if you can just imagine, I don't know if you've ever been near a bull, but they can be terrifying.

They're powerful and they have the majestic aspect too because the horns, horns are a deep symbol of power. And so you've got, they are often associated with kings and things. And in fact, once you start looking for cattle in the Greek myths, you see them everywhere.

They're powerful and they have the majestic aspect too because the horns, horns are a deep symbol of power. And so you've got, they are often associated with kings and things. And in fact, once you start looking for cattle in the Greek myths, you see them everywhere.

They're powerful and they have the majestic aspect too because the horns, horns are a deep symbol of power. And so you've got, they are often associated with kings and things. And in fact, once you start looking for cattle in the Greek myths, you see them everywhere.

For example, the first thing baby Hermes does as soon as he's born is to, well, after he kills the tortoise and makes it into a lyre, is he steals the cattle of Apollo. Yes.

For example, the first thing baby Hermes does as soon as he's born is to, well, after he kills the tortoise and makes it into a lyre, is he steals the cattle of Apollo. Yes.

For example, the first thing baby Hermes does as soon as he's born is to, well, after he kills the tortoise and makes it into a lyre, is he steals the cattle of Apollo. Yes.

He's one day old. Oh, it's so cute. I love that story. But then you just think about Apollo, this golden god who plays, well, he's going to play the lyre. He's like a cowherd and baby Hermes is a little cattle rustler. And then you've got Hera, the queen of the gods, who's often called ox-eyed or cow-eyed. Apparently it's a compliment.

He's one day old. Oh, it's so cute. I love that story. But then you just think about Apollo, this golden god who plays, well, he's going to play the lyre. He's like a cowherd and baby Hermes is a little cattle rustler. And then you've got Hera, the queen of the gods, who's often called ox-eyed or cow-eyed. Apparently it's a compliment.

He's one day old. Oh, it's so cute. I love that story. But then you just think about Apollo, this golden god who plays, well, he's going to play the lyre. He's like a cowherd and baby Hermes is a little cattle rustler. And then you've got Hera, the queen of the gods, who's often called ox-eyed or cow-eyed. Apparently it's a compliment.

And then Zeus, Poseidon, and Dionysus are all deeply associated with bulls. Two of the labors of Hercules have to do with bulls. Odysseus gets into trouble when his men steal the sacred cattle. And then Cadmus from Phoenicia, he follows a cow who leads him to Boeotia, which means cowland in Greek.

And then Zeus, Poseidon, and Dionysus are all deeply associated with bulls. Two of the labors of Hercules have to do with bulls. Odysseus gets into trouble when his men steal the sacred cattle. And then Cadmus from Phoenicia, he follows a cow who leads him to Boeotia, which means cowland in Greek.

And then Zeus, Poseidon, and Dionysus are all deeply associated with bulls. Two of the labors of Hercules have to do with bulls. Odysseus gets into trouble when his men steal the sacred cattle. And then Cadmus from Phoenicia, he follows a cow who leads him to Boeotia, which means cowland in Greek.

And there he found Thebes, which is going to be the great tragic city of Pentheus, Oedipus, Antigone, etc. And we're going to come to cows in a minute when I do the origin story of the Minotaur.

And there he found Thebes, which is going to be the great tragic city of Pentheus, Oedipus, Antigone, etc. And we're going to come to cows in a minute when I do the origin story of the Minotaur.

And there he found Thebes, which is going to be the great tragic city of Pentheus, Oedipus, Antigone, etc. And we're going to come to cows in a minute when I do the origin story of the Minotaur.

Yes, absolutely. And I think, again, that that connection with cows and bulls, it's not just Crete, it's not just mainland Greece. You get it in Phoenicia, you get it in Egypt, you get it, we see images of Baal, the Canaanite god, with a bull head and a man's body. So there, again, the cow is so deeply important to all these cultures, and they have different ways of kind of expressing that.

Yes, absolutely. And I think, again, that that connection with cows and bulls, it's not just Crete, it's not just mainland Greece. You get it in Phoenicia, you get it in Egypt, you get it, we see images of Baal, the Canaanite god, with a bull head and a man's body. So there, again, the cow is so deeply important to all these cultures, and they have different ways of kind of expressing that.

Yes, absolutely. And I think, again, that that connection with cows and bulls, it's not just Crete, it's not just mainland Greece. You get it in Phoenicia, you get it in Egypt, you get it, we see images of Baal, the Canaanite god, with a bull head and a man's body. So there, again, the cow is so deeply important to all these cultures, and they have different ways of kind of expressing that.

A good question. We have a first mention of him in a poet called Callimachus, who's of the 3rd century BC. He just has a little line. He talks about Theseus escaping from the cruel, bellowing of the wild son of Pacify and the twisted dwelling place of the crooked labyrinth. So right there, although it doesn't call him Minotaur in that third century BC bit of poetry, you've got all the elements.