In Greek mythology, Theseus entered the Labyrinth and killed the Minotaur.
Theseus was the son of Aegeus, king of Athens, and is one of the central heroes of Attic mythology. He volunteered to join the Athenian youths sent to Crete as tribute to King Minos. Once inside the Labyrinth, Theseus confronted and killed the Minotaur.
Ariadne, Minos’s daughter, helped Theseus by giving him a ball of thread. He unwound it as he walked through the maze, allowing him to retrace his route after the fight. This detail is the source of the modern expression “Ariadne’s thread,” meaning a clue or method that helps someone solve a difficult problem.
Theseus is often compared with other Greek monster slayers, but Perseus killed Medusa and Heracles completed his famous labors. Those heroes belong to different myths, even though later art and popular culture sometimes blend their stories.