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Theseus and the Minotaur
 Introduction
OPEN's portfolio on Theseus and the Minotaur provides students and teachers with an assortment of materials with which to study one of the most enduring historical myths of ancient Greece. It resonates with fantastic creatures like the Minotaur and powerful archetypal figures such as Daedalus, the artist/inventor and Theseus, the hero himself.
Part of what has made the myth so fascinating to scholars and archaeologists over the years is the question of its historical validity. Despite many improbabilities in the story itself, the excavation of the Palace of Knossos in Crete by Arthur Evans in the 19th century seemed to prove that many aspects of the myth were based on fact. OPEN's students will have the tools needed to form their own judgements about any factual basis for the story, such as references to King Minos in Thuycides' History of the Peloponnesian war.
The Myth of Theseus and the Minotaur also provides rich visual imagery for students to explore, both through the vibrant frescoes of lithe young women with snakes wrapped around their arms and men leaping over bulls, to the architecture if the palace itself. The complex and mysterious palace of Knossos, with its many unexplained passages and
antechambers, has lent credence to the theory of the labyrinth.
OPEN students could explore the archaeology of the Palace of Knossos site to see how various possible reconstructions of the ruins, could lead to differing theories about the nature of Minoan life on Crete thousands of years ago, and its significance to the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur.
Related Bibliography and References
- Boardman, John, Griffin, Jasper and Murray, Oswyn. Greece and the Hellenistic World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986.
- Bowra, C.M. The Greek Experience. New York: Mentor Books, 1957.
- Calasso, Roberto. The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1993.
- Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton: The Princeton University Press, 1973.
- Ceram, C.W. Gods, Graves and Scholars: The Story of Archaeology. New York: Bantam Books, 1980.
- Durant, Will. The Life of Greece. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1966.
- Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Penguin Books, 1989.
- Kitto, H.D.F. The Greeks. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1966.
- Leveque, Pierre. The Birth of Greece. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1994.
- Ovid. Metamorphoses. Translated by Rolfe Humphries. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983.
- Renault, Mary. The King Must Die. New York: Vintage Books, 1988.
- Rouse, W.H.D. Gods Heroes and Men of Ancient Greece. New York: Signet Key Book, 1957.
- Renfrew, Colin. Virtual Archaeology: Recreating Ancient Worlds. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1996.
- Sacks, David. A Dictionary of the Ancient Greek World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
- Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War. Translated by Rex Warner. New York: Penguin Books, 1972.
- Wood, Michael. In Search of the Trojan War. New York: Facts on File, 1985.
- Wunderlich, Hans Georg. The Secret of Crete. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.1974.
Related Web Sites
CLASS PRESENTATIONS
Suggestions
VISUAL
Each schools presentation must include a visual component. Create colorful charts diagrams, maps or art, which are large and clear enough for your international classmates to see.
If you are doing a skit or a re-enactment of an historical event, costumes and props may count as the visual component of your project. Costumes may be simple, but everyone who is playing a part must wear some type of costume. For example, if you are playing the role of the minotaur, wear horns!
Props are important too. If you are Socrates getting ready to take your final gulp of hemlock -- carry a mug.
You may also want to consider making a backdrop, so that your classroom looks more like the site of ancient undersea wreck, the palace of Knossos or even a newsroom.
THE REENACTMENT OR SKIT
If you do a skit or representation of these historical events, create a cast list, and assign duties among your students or classmates, such as set design, stage crew, writers, etc.
The cast list will consist of a list of all class members and the role they will play in the presentation.
We at OPEN believe that the contributions of all students are essential to the success of any project. Often, it is the contributions of those behind the scenes that make what takes place in front of the camera or on stage possible. It is possible that all students may not have the opportunity to appear before the camera or on stage, or they may choose not to, yet their contributions are crucial to the development of the presentation. Everyone has unique talents and abilities. We at OPEN recognize that, and want to give students the opportunity to perform to the best of their individual abilities.
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