Theseus "Mythological Hero"

341 Words2 Pages
Mythological Hero "Theseus" Greek mythology heroes are not heroes at all in the modern sense of the word. Todays heroes are determined by their courage in the face of danger and their heroic acts being done on behalf of another out of compassion or love. Almost all mythological heroes were gods or demi gods so there was really no fear of danger and most did their heroic acts for self-serving purposes with the exception of Theseus. Theseus was the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and his mother Aethra. Theseus, unlike the many other mythological heroes, was not a god. He had no supernatural power or strength, but what he did have was courage and compassion for his fellow man, for he was a mortal man himself. His father, Aegeus, was the king of Athens. Though he did not grow up with his father, he longed to know him from the stories his mother Aethra told him. After Theseus was old enough and proved himself strong enough by lifting a huge boulder to uncover gifts his father left for him, he went on a journey to find and meet his father. His grandfather advised Theseus to travel by sea for there were many dangers on the road but this only enticed Theseus even more to travel the road for the adventures he would undergo. Theseus’s quest was one of self discovery and personal information. Based on the stories of his mother, Theseus set out to find his father, and being mortal, the quest of Theseus exposed what greatness he had within him. Choosing to take the dangerous path by land, Theseus had to defeat the guardians of the 6 entrances to the underworld, again all while being mortal. Bandit’s more than guardians, Theseus was able to outwit and kill all 6 bandits without effort. Eventually making his way to Athens, Theseus reunited with his father, and shortly thereafter went on another quest to slay the minotaur. References
Open Document