Theseus

The true story of Theseus and the Minotaur.

An introduction to the character of Theseus and his role in Greek and Roman mythology.

Theseus is one of four wonderful Greek Hero retellings from Geraldine McCaughrean, with cover illustrations by Jason Cockroft.* Geraldine McCaughrean is one of the most highly-acclaimed living children's writers, and is particularly renowned for her masterly retellings of traditional tales. She is winner of the Carnegie Medal, Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Whitbread Award (twice)* Geraldine McCaughrean and Jason Cockcroft are reunited - the prizewinning team behind the Blue Peter Book of the Year winner, A Pilgrim's Progress* Perfect for fans of adult authors such as Mary Renault, or for readers of Adele Geras's Troy* Myths and legends are required reading for the Natioanl Curriculum

Theseus is celebrated as the greatest of Athenian heroes. This work explores what he meant to the Athenians at the height of their city-state in the fifth century B.C. Assembling material that has been scattered in scholarly works, Henry Walker examines the evidence for the development of the myth and cult of Theseus in the archaic age. He then looks to major works of classical literature in which Theseus figures, exploring the contradictions between the archaic, primitive side of his character and his refurbished image as the patron of democracy. His ambiguous nature as outsider, flouting accepted standards of behavior, while at the same time being a hero-king and a representative of higher ideals, is analyzed through his representations in the work of Bacchylides, Euripides, and Sophocles. This is the only work of scholarship that examines the literary representation of Theseus so thoroughly. It brings to life a literary character whose virtues, flaws, and contradictions belong in no less a degree to his creators, the people of Athens.

This book traces the development of the Theseus myth and its importance for Athens. Mills examines all extant tragedies in which Theseus appear in order to assess the significance of his role as mythological representative of Athenian greatness. She argues that the Theseus of most Athenian tragedy is carefully drawn to exemplify the idealized image of the Athenian "national character" that was prevalent in the age of the empire.

In graphic novel format, retells the adventures of Theseus and how he solved the mystery of the labyrinth and battled the monster kept prisoner at the center.

Zeus's version of the Theseus myth is totally fabricated! Theseus went into the labyrinth all right, but the only thing he did in there was get lost. He never killed the Minotaur. Zeus made the whole thing up so everyone would think the Minotaur was gone for good. Hades, King of the Underworld, sets the record straight on the story of Theseus and the Minotaur.

Poetry. The value of THESEUS is as much about its pedigree as the writing itself. The collaboration for this new book began in the autumn of 1966. bpNichol and Wayne Clifford had worked together early in their literary careers; in fact, Clifford had been the editor of Nichol's first trade book, published with Coach House Press. To begin, Nichol had also wanted to include two West Coast poets in the writing process. This didn't work out, so Nichol and Clifford rewrote a section to produce Part One of the present text. Part Two was composed over many years of revisiting and revising. These long gestation periods allowed the writers the space and time to re/consider, knowing the text would always be there to augment. After Nichol's death, Clifford completed the work, adding Part Three--composed of elements of Nichol's MARTYROLOGY--as a means of tribute, eulogy, acceptance and lie. Thematically, the text focuses on the Theseus-Ariadne-Minotaur cycle: in Part One, the authors were young enough to "re=verb=erate" when struck with the myth; Part Two allowed Nichol and Clifford the space to step back in order to devise a way to say 'love' more acutely; finally, Part Three presents a stunning example of one man's grief for a lost friend and collaborator. All told, THESEUS is an important text that, published here for the first time, adds considerable gravitas to Nichol's poetic legacy, and the unique partnership between the two authors allows Nichol's words to be extended beyond the grave.