Theseus: A Greek Hero

People around the world have heard of many heroes of Greek mythology and know of their adventures. Although the stories and myths of each hero slightly vary from place to place and person to person, the great feats that each has accomplished are common knowledge. One of the most accomplished heroes of Greek mythology is Theseus, the hero of Athens. This hero started with humble beginnings and eventually grew to be the most famous and respected demigod in ancient Athens (Ward, 7). Theseus’ mother, Aethra, was a princess and the daughter of Pittheus, the king of Troezen. The king was well-known in Greece due to his wisdom and many came to pursue his advice. One of these people was Aegeus, the king of Athens, who had trouble bearing a child

He then took the sword and the sandals and started his journey to Athens, taking the dangerous route with hopes of adventure (Switzer and Costas, 103). The first brute that Theseus met was Corynetes, who was a huge man that carried with him an enormous club. Theseus easily dispatched this giant by grabbing the huge club and smashing his skull wide open. After a short period, the hero met another man named Sciron who wielded an ax that was the size of a tree. Theseus had heard stories of this man and knew that the brigand would ask travelers to wash his feet and would then proceed to chop off their heads in order to feed them to his monstrous pet turtle. When Sciron demanded Theseus scrub his feet, Theseus obeyed and waited for a window of opportunity (Switzer and Costas, 104). Finally, when the big man made a move to kick Theseus off balance, Theseus grabbed his foot and pulled. Sciron fell over and dropped his weapon, allowing Theseus to pick it up and swiftly cut off his head with it. The hero then proceeded to kick Sciron’s body to the hungry turtle waiting below them (Switzer and Costas, 105). The next man that Theseus encountered on his journey was Sciron’s brother, Pityocamptes. When Theseus walked by, Pityocamptes asked him to hold down a pine tree that the strong brother had bent down to the earth. Theseus was clever enough to know how to distribute his weight evenly and successfully held the pine tree down. The giant was surprised and came closer to Theseus to see what the problem was. The hero then let go of the tree and it hit Pityocamptes, knocking him out. Theseus then tied him to two other trees, which snapped back and ripped the giant in half (Switzer and Costas, 105). By then, it was getting dark outside and Theseus decided to rest at an inn for the night (Evslin, 153). The innkeeper was a man named Procrustes who showed Theseus to a bed with chains and shackles. Procrustes explained that if a