In Greek mythology, what object did Ariadne give Theseus to help him escape the Labyrinth?

Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread to help him escape the Labyrinth.

Before Theseus entered the Labyrinth, Ariadne provided the thread and instructed him to fasten it at the entrance and unwind it as he went. After killing the Minotaur, Theseus followed the thread back to the doorway.

This detail is one of the most recognizable elements of the myth and gives rise to the modern expression “Ariadne’s thread,” meaning a clue or method that guides someone through a difficult problem. Ancient versions differ in smaller details, including whether Ariadne received the idea from Daedalus or simply devised it herself.

The thread is sometimes incorrectly described as a rope or a golden thread. Most familiar retellings call it a ball or clew of ordinary thread, while the essential point is that it marked Theseus’s route through the maze-like structure.