In Greek mythology, the Minotaur is given the name Asterion in ancient sources.
The name Asterion, also spelled Asterius in some translations, is connected with the Greek word for star. The creature is more commonly identified by the descriptive name Minotaur, meaning “Bull of Minos,” rather than by its personal name.
The Minotaur was described as having a human body and a bull’s head. It was born to Pasiphae after Minos failed to sacrifice a bull associated with Poseidon. Minos ordered Daedalus to construct the Labyrinth, where the creature was confined.
Asterion can be confused with other figures in Cretan mythology. Asterion was also the name of a king in some accounts and appears in mythological genealogies unrelated to the monster. The Minotaur’s name varies because Greek myths survive in multiple literary traditions, but Asterion is the specific name most closely attached to the creature itself.