King Minos of Crete trapped the fearsome Minotaur—a half-man, half-bull monstrosity—within a vast labyrinth. The beast was born from a curse by Poseidon, who made Minos’ wife, Pasiphaë, fall in love with a bull. To appease the creature’s hunger, Minos demanded a gruesome tribute from Athens: sending young men and women into the labyrinth to be devoured. This cycle of sacrifice continued until the hero Theseus entered the maze and slew the Minotaur, ending its reign of terror.