Caroline Lawrence

It's amazing because if you think about Schliemann, he believed that there was a Trojan War. So he went looking where he thought it would have taken place, where Troy might have been.

Yes, Heinrich Schliemann, exactly. And he found Troy. And in the same way, Arthur Evans, Sir Arthur Evans around 1900, let's say, he went and started digging where they found all these coins. And he found Knossos. So there is some historical material basis for many of these myths.

Yes, Heinrich Schliemann, exactly. And he found Troy. And in the same way, Arthur Evans, Sir Arthur Evans around 1900, let's say, he went and started digging where they found all these coins. And he found Knossos. So there is some historical material basis for many of these myths.

Yes, Heinrich Schliemann, exactly. And he found Troy. And in the same way, Arthur Evans, Sir Arthur Evans around 1900, let's say, he went and started digging where they found all these coins. And he found Knossos. So there is some historical material basis for many of these myths.

Only human food.

Only human food.

Only human food.

It's an aberration against nature and it needs a tribute. And I don't know if that's some kind of a remnant of sacrifice or, I mean, they've actually found human bones and traces of cannibalism in Crete. So maybe that's fed into somehow this memory of this civilization that had been gone for a thousand years by the time the Greek poets were writing about it and the Greek tragedians.

It's an aberration against nature and it needs a tribute. And I don't know if that's some kind of a remnant of sacrifice or, I mean, they've actually found human bones and traces of cannibalism in Crete. So maybe that's fed into somehow this memory of this civilization that had been gone for a thousand years by the time the Greek poets were writing about it and the Greek tragedians.

It's an aberration against nature and it needs a tribute. And I don't know if that's some kind of a remnant of sacrifice or, I mean, they've actually found human bones and traces of cannibalism in Crete. So maybe that's fed into somehow this memory of this civilization that had been gone for a thousand years by the time the Greek poets were writing about it and the Greek tragedians.

And so Theseus has to go. He decides to go. And for various reasons, the tributes, I think they come from Athens. Some of the tributes come from Athens, these kids who have to be sacrificed every nine years. And Theseus decides that before he can become king of Athens, which is his birthright, he's going to dispatch the Minotaur. So he goes with this boatload of tributes.

And so Theseus has to go. He decides to go. And for various reasons, the tributes, I think they come from Athens. Some of the tributes come from Athens, these kids who have to be sacrificed every nine years. And Theseus decides that before he can become king of Athens, which is his birthright, he's going to dispatch the Minotaur. So he goes with this boatload of tributes.

And so Theseus has to go. He decides to go. And for various reasons, the tributes, I think they come from Athens. Some of the tributes come from Athens, these kids who have to be sacrificed every nine years. And Theseus decides that before he can become king of Athens, which is his birthright, he's going to dispatch the Minotaur. So he goes with this boatload of tributes.

And there's the famous story of his father, Aegeus, says, don't go. And he says, I'll go. I'll conquer the Minotaur. I'll come back. I'll change the black sail to white to show you that I've done it. Of course, he forgets. And conveniently... Conveniently, Aegeus jumps into the Aegean Sea. Interesting it's called after him. And Theseus becomes king.

And there's the famous story of his father, Aegeus, says, don't go. And he says, I'll go. I'll conquer the Minotaur. I'll come back. I'll change the black sail to white to show you that I've done it. Of course, he forgets. And conveniently... Conveniently, Aegeus jumps into the Aegean Sea. Interesting it's called after him. And Theseus becomes king.

And there's the famous story of his father, Aegeus, says, don't go. And he says, I'll go. I'll conquer the Minotaur. I'll come back. I'll change the black sail to white to show you that I've done it. Of course, he forgets. And conveniently... Conveniently, Aegeus jumps into the Aegean Sea. Interesting it's called after him. And Theseus becomes king.

But anyway, back on the ship, they arrive in Crete. And there are lots of retellings of this, but the basic Greek myth is that Ariadne, a princess, another daughter of Minos and Pacify, falls in love with him. And she tells him the secret of killing the Minotaur who's in this dark labyrinth. Imagine, we all have dreams, don't we, about getting lost. Imagine going into a dark underground labyrinth.

But anyway, back on the ship, they arrive in Crete. And there are lots of retellings of this, but the basic Greek myth is that Ariadne, a princess, another daughter of Minos and Pacify, falls in love with him. And she tells him the secret of killing the Minotaur who's in this dark labyrinth. Imagine, we all have dreams, don't we, about getting lost. Imagine going into a dark underground labyrinth.

But anyway, back on the ship, they arrive in Crete. And there are lots of retellings of this, but the basic Greek myth is that Ariadne, a princess, another daughter of Minos and Pacify, falls in love with him. And she tells him the secret of killing the Minotaur who's in this dark labyrinth. Imagine, we all have dreams, don't we, about getting lost. Imagine going into a dark underground labyrinth.

And I don't know if it's worse if it would be pitch black or if there'd be torches with spooky light, you know, making shadows loom and stuff. I don't know which would be more terrifying. It would be terrifying. He's got to find his way to the center of this maze, kill the Minotaur, and then get back. And Ariadne gives him the famous thread or the twine.