The Minotaur of Greek Mythology

A Minotaur is a creature from Greek mythology that is half human and half bull. It was said to have lived at the center of a great labyrinth (an elaborate maze) built for King Minos. In Greek mythology the minotaur was eventually killed by Theseus.

"Minotaur" is Greek for "Bull of Minos".

Firstly, King Minos built the maze below his palace. Secondly, the Minotaur came into existence when King Minos asked Poseidon for a bull for sacrifice. When the bull came out of the sea, Minos took it and thanked Poseidon a lot. But when Minos broke a vow that he'd made previously, the god made Minos's wife fall in love with the bull. She had an affair with it and out came the Minotaur. Minos was terrified and locked the beast away in the maze. Every nine years he would sacrifice children to the monster to keep it at bay.

Death of the Minotaur

Androgeus, son of Minos, had been killed by the Athenians, who were jealous of the victories he had won at the Panathenaic festival. Others say he was killed at Marathon by the Cretan bull, his mother's former taurine lover, which Aegeus, king of Athens, had commanded him to slay. The common tradition is that Minos waged war to avenge the death of his son and won. Catullus, in his account of the Minotaur's birth, refers to another version in which Athens was "compelled by the cruel plague to pay penalties for the killing of Androgeos." Aegeus must avert the plague caused by his crime by sending "young men at the same time as the best of unwed girls as a feast" to the Minotaur. Minos required that seven Athenian youths and seven maidens, drawn by lots, be sent every seventh or ninth year (some accounts say every year) to be devoured by the Minotaur.
When the third sacrifice approached, Theseus volunteered to slay the monster. He promised to his father, Aegeus, that he would put up a white sail on his journey back home if he was successful and would have the crew put up black sails if he was killed. In Crete, both Minos' daughters, Ariadne and Phaedra fell madly in love with Theseus. Ariadne, the elder, helped him navigate the labyrinth. In most accounts she gave him a ball of thread, allowing him to retrace his path. Theseus killed the Minotaur with the sword of Aegeus and led the other Athenians back out of the labyrinth. On the way home, Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos, and continued with Phaedra, his future wife. He neglected, however, to put up the white sail. King Aegeus, from his lookout on Cape Sounion, saw the black-sailed ship approach and, presuming his son dead, committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea that is since named after him. This act secured the throne for Theseus