Editing Poseidon (section)

=== Theseus ===
[[File:Getty Villa - Collection (5304703605).jpg|thumb|left|190px| Poseidon and Theseus (on the left). Storage jar 470BC. [[J. Paul Getty Museum]], Malibu, California]]

Poseidon fathered the hero [[Theseus]] with the [[Troezen]]ian princess [[Aethra (mother of Theseus)|Aethra]]. Theseus was also said to be the son of [[Aegeus]], the king of Athens, who slept with Aethra on the very same night. Thus Theseus's origins included both the human and the divine element.{{sfn|Grimal|1987|page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofclas00grim/page/445/mode/2up?view=theater 446]}}{{sfn|Walker|1995|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=qiNwJ_s2_dAC&pg=PA85 85]}}

Meanwhile, in [[Crete]], Zeus's son [[Minos]] asked for Poseidon's help in order to certify his claim on the throne of Crete. Poseidon offered Minos a splendid white bull, with the understanding that he was to sacrifice the bull to Poseidon later. The Cretans were so impressed with the bull and the divine sign itself that Minos was declared king of Crete.{{sfn|Grimal|1987|page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofclas00grim/page/291/mode/2up?view=theater 291]}}{{sfn|Hard|2004|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA67 67]}} But wishing to keep the beautiful animal for himself, Minos instead sacrificed an ordinary bull to the sea-god instead of the agreed upon one.{{sfn|Hard|2004|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA67 67]}}

Poseidon, enraged, caused Minos's wife, [[Pasiphae]], to fall in love with the bull; their coupling produced the [[Minotaur]], a half-bull half-human creature who fed on human flesh.{{sfn|Grimal|1987|page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofclas00grim/page/291/mode/2up?view=theater 291]}}{{sfn|Hard|2004|page= [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA67 67]}} Minos concealed him within the labyrinth built by [[Daedalus]], and fed to him Athenian men and women he forced Aegeus to send him over.{{sfn|Hard|2004|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA68 68]}}

Once Theseus was grown up and recognized by Aegeus as his son, he decided to end the bloody tax Athens had to pay to Crete once and for all, and volunteered to set sail to Crete along with the other Athenian youths who had been chosen to be devoured by the Minotaur.{{sfn|Rose|1974|page=[https://archive.org/details/godsheroesofgree0000rose_j8e9/page/82/mode/2up?view=theater 82]}}

Once he arrived in Crete, Minos insulted Theseus and insisted he was no son of Poseidon; to demonstrate so, he threw his own ring in to the sea, and commanded Theseus to retrieve it, expecting he would not be able to do so.{{sfn|Ogden|2017|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=-M8oDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA41 41]}} Theseus immediately dove in after it.
[[File:Gaziantep Zeugma museum Daedalus and Icarus mosaic in 2019 4054.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|[[Pasiphae]] seated on a throne receives the wooden cow from [[Daidalos]]. Eros plays with the head of the crafted cow. Roman Mosaic, from Zeugma, Commagene. [[Zeugma Mosaic Museum]], Gaziantep, Turkey]]

Dolphins then came as guides and escorted him to the halls of Poseidon's palace, where he was warmly welcomed.{{sfn|Williams|Clare|2022|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8W6cEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA161 160-161]}} He received the ring, and in addition a purple wedding cloak and a crown from the [[Nereids|Nereid]] [[Amphitrite]], to prove his words. Theseus then emerged from the sea and gave the ring to Minos.{{sfn|Williams|Clare|2022|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8W6cEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA162 162]}} Theseus killed the Minotaur, and in time succeeded his father Aegeus as king of Athens. By an Amazon he had a son, [[Hippolytus of Athens|Hippolytus]], while his wife [[Phaedra (mythology)|Phaedra]] (Minos' daughter) gave him two sons.

At some point, Poseidon promised three favours to Theseus, and he called upon Poseidon to fulfill one of those when Phaedra falsely accused Hippolytus of forcing himself on her.{{sfn|Williams|Clare|2022|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8W6cEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA139 139]}} Theseus, not knowing the truth, asked his father to destroy Hippolytus; Poseidon granted his son's wish, and as Hippolytus was driving by the sea, Poseidon sent a terrifying sea monster to spook the man's horses, which then dragged him to his death.{{sfn|Williams|Clare|2022|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8W6cEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA139 139]}}{{sfn|Walker|1995|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=qiNwJ_s2_dAC&pg=PA114 114]}}