logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
35m 55s

Myth of the Minotaur: Half Man Half Bull

History Hit
About this episode

The myth of the Minotaur has endured thousands of years for good reason... it's hard to forget! Today, Maddy Pelling tells Anthony Delaney the story of King Minos of Crete, the monster in his maze, and the son of Athens that comes to kill it, thanks largely to the cunning of Princess Ariadne.


Edited by Tomos Delargy. Produced by Charlotte Long.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign here for up to 50% for 3 months using code AFTERDARK

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click to place your vote on the Spotify mobile app: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
The Brutal Murder of Catherine Howard
Today we're delving back into the After Dark vaults to revisit our classic episode on the death of the short-lived Tudor queen.In 1540 Henry VIII was getting old, and his eyes turned to teenager Catherine Howard.He fell hard and fast for Catherine - his "rose without a thorn" - b ... Show More
52m 18s
Aug 20
18th Century France's Most Outrageous Spy
The Chevalier d’Éon was one of France’s most daring spies... until they began making headlines for all the wrong reasons.Armed with explosive state secrets and at the centre of a very public scandal over their identity, d’Éon went from trusted agent to international sensation.Joi ... Show More
59m 16s
Aug 17
The Spy Who Fooled The Nazis
She was the only person during World War Two to parachute from Britain behind enemy lines into Nazi-occupied Germany, all while wearing a dress.Who was Agent Zo? And what were the incredible missions she was involved in as part of the Polish resistance?Joining Anthony and Maddy t ... Show More
48 m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
The Minotaur
<p>Half man and half bull, the Minotaur is one of the most famous, and scariest, monsters of Greek mythology.</p><br><p>The story goes that it was trapped in a great labyrinth beneath Knossos on the island of Crete and feasted on human flesh until it was slain by the hero Theseus ... Show More
50m 58s
Oct 2020
The Minotaur, Part 2: Minoan Crete with Nicoletta Momigliano
To fully understand the minotaur myth, we also have to consider the Minoan civilization of Crete. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, Robert and Joe chat with Professor Nicoletta Momigliano, author of “In Search of the Labyrinth: The Cultural Legacy of Minoan Crete.” Lear ... Show More
42m 15s
Oct 2020
The Minotaur, Part 1
Take the Minotaur out of its maze and you have but another beast man -- but within his manufactured environment, he is a singular terror in myth and popular consciousness. But where does this monster come from? What does his existence mean? What does the stalker of these bloody h ... Show More
1h 6m
Aug 2017
Queen Pasiphae did WHAT with a Bull?!
Queen Pasiphae, of Knossos, Crete, learns the hard way what god-magic can make you do... (hint: it's the Minotaur). The secrets of the Labyrinth, the brilliant inventor Daedalus, and his not as brilliant son Icarus. Ever heard the saying "flying too close to the sun"?CW/TW: far t ... Show More
24m 5s
Dec 2015
17A-Theseus: It’s Dangerous to go Alone!
We have all heard the story of Theseus fighting that monstrous half-bull, half-man beast known as the Minotaur, but the original story starts years earlier. It involves tensions between two kingdoms, a deadly poetry slam, and dumb bandits.The creature of the week is a small chick ... Show More
28m 27s
Apr 2023
Knossos
<p>The legend of the Minotaur and its labyrinth has captivated us for centuries, but is there any evidence of it really existing?</p><br><p>In this episode, Tristan visits the Ashmolean museum in Oxford to interview Dr. Andrew Shapland, the curator of a new exhibition exploring t ... Show More
50m 28s
May 2020
S2E1 - Theseus and the Minotaur
Oh Muses! In this episode we tell the tale of the monstrous creature in the labyrinth and of King Minos and his defeat at the hands of Ariadne and Theseus. We come across bovine-centered miracles, dramatic irony, and improper coping mechanisms. National Geographic Kids Greeking O ... Show More
28m 6s
Aug 2015
Episode #3 - Was There A Real Labyrinth?
Is the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur just a bedtime story for morbid children or does it contain the kernels of real history? This week we dive into this classic myth and discover how it might hold clues about a real conflict between ancient bronze-age civilizations. Tune in t ... Show More
44m 37s
Apr 2024
There Once Was a Man Named Minos, the Bronze Age Minoans of Crete
A (very brief) history of the Minoan people of Bronze Age Crete. Help keep LTAMB going by subscribing to Liv's Patreon for bonus content!CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I'm not as deferential as I w ... Show More
46m 3s