Minōtaurus

, a celebrated monster, half a man and half a bull, according to this verse of Ovid, Ars Am at or i a , bk. 2 , li. 24 , Semibovemque virum, semivirumque bovem . It was the fruit of Pasiphae’s amour with a bull. Minos refused to sacrifice a white bull to Neptune, an animal which he had received from the god for that purpose. This offended Neptune, and he made Pasiphae the wife of ♦ Minos enamoured of this fine bull, which had been refused to his altars. Dædal us prostituted his talents in being subservient to the queen’s unnatural desires, and, by his means, Pasiphae’s horrible pa ions were gratified, and the Minotaur came into the world. Minos confined in the labyrinth a monster which convinced the world of his wife’s lasciviousne and indecency, and reflected disgrace upon his family. The Minotaur usually devoured the chosen young men and maidens, whom the tyranny of Minos yearly extracted from the A then i ans. These us delivered his country from this shameful tribute, when it had fallen to his lot to be sacrificed to the voracity of the Minotaur, and, by means of Ariadne, the king’s daughter, he destroyed the monster, and made his escape from the windings of the labyrinth. The fabulous traditions of the Minotaur, and of the infamous commerce of Pasiphae with a favourite bull, have been often explained. Some suppose that Pasiphae was enamoured of one of her husband’s courtiers, called Taurus, and that Dædal us favoured the pa ion of the queen by suffering his house to become the retreat of the two lovers. Pasiphae, some time after, brought twins into the world, one of whom greatly resembled Minos, and the other Taurus. In the natural resemblance of their countenance with that of their supposed fathers originated their name, and consequently the fable of the Minotaur. Ovid , Metamorphoses , bk. 8 , fable 2.— Hyginus , fable 40.— Plutarch , These us .— Palæphat us. — Virgil , Æneid , bk. 6 , li. 26 . ♦ ‘Minys’ replaced with ‘Minos’