Pasiphae was the wife of King Minos who gave birth to the Minotaur in Greek mythology. Her role is central to the origin story that precedes the construction of the Labyrinth.
The myth says that Pasiphae was overcome by desire for the Cretan Bull. Daedalus built a wooden cow that allowed her to approach the animal, and their union produced the Minotaur, a creature with a human body and a bull’s head. Minos then ordered Daedalus to construct the Labyrinth as a prison.
Pasiphae is sometimes confused with Ariadne, another daughter of Minos. Ariadne helped Theseus navigate the Labyrinth, whereas Pasiphae belongs to the Minotaur’s birth story. Pasiphae also appears in wider Greek mythology as a prophetic or magical figure in some later traditions.