Originally posted to Shrubbery, 5 Sept 2003
Ariadne was the beautiful daughter of King Minos of Crete -- you know, the one with the Minotaur. Anyway, every year her father demanded the tribute of seven young men and seven young women from Athens as part of a war treaty, and every year those young men and women were sent into the maze of the Labyrinth where the Minotaur was waiting to eat them. No one ever escaped.
One year the king of Athens' son included himself amongst the young men sent to Crete. His name was Theseus, and he hoped to end the tribute demands by killing the Minotaur. Ariadne literally fell in love with him at first sight and sneaked down to the dungeons to speak with him the night before he was to die. Theseus told her of his plans, and she agreed to help him by hiding a ball of yarn and a sword just inside the Labyrinth's entrance. He promised he would take her away with him and marry her when they escaped Crete.
The next day found Ariadne nervously waiting down by the harbour as the Athenian youths were forced into the maze. Theseus immediately found the hidden weapon and, unwinding the yarn behind him as an aid to finding his way out of the maze, headed deeper into the Labyrinth. Well, since the heroes in these stories tend to win, you can imagine what the outcome of the battle was. Theseus ran out of the maze as soon as the Minotaur was dead, collected his comrades and Ariadne, and headed out to sea before anyone could catch up with him.
All went well for a while, but when they put ashore on Naxos to replenish their supplies Ariadne decided to take a nap. While she slept, the goddess Athene told Theseus that he wasn't to marry Ariadne after all but instead return to Athens as quickly as he could. The Athenians returned to their ship and cast off, leaving Ariadne asleep on the shore.
When she awoke she found herself stranded on Naxos with no sign of her love. At first she waited, but gradually she realised she'd been abandoned. She was accepted by the people of Naxos but she became very bitter towards men and the promises they made. Many times suitors asked for her hand, but she always replied that she would never again trust a mortal man.
A few years passed. One day a stranger landed on the island. He was handsome and appeared very rich, so naturally he attracted attention from all the single women of Naxos. Everyone except Ariadne, of course. She went about her business and did everything she could to avoid this new man. He, however, was intrigued by her and secretly watched her whenever he could. Finally, seeing her alone on the beach, he approached her and told her how enchanted he was by her beauty. She scoffed and tried to leave but the stranger continued speaking, telling her of how he'd been watching her and how he'd decided that she was the only woman on the planet that he wanted for a wife. He said he was a king and offered her wealth beyond anything she'd ever imagined. He also promised to love her for eternity, and offered her a golden crown to prove it.
"Ha. A man promise to love. And for eternity, yet. I've heard such promises before, and they caused me to take a vow that I would never again trust a mortal man."
With that, the stranger smiled and replied, "ah, but I'm not a mortal man. My name is Dionysius, and my kingdom is that of the grape and the festival. When I promise to love you for eternity I truly mean eternity, for I shall make you immortal and take you to Olympus to be mine forever."
Ariadne's heart skipped a beat, but she was still wary of this stranger and his claims. She looked him up and down. "You, a god? I see nothing about you that looks godlike. Show me something to make me believe you."
Dionysius smiled once again and showed her the crown he had brought. "Since you would not accept this from my hand, let me at least leave it where all can see it as a sign of my promise and its truth." He took the crown and threw it up into the sky with all his might. It went so high that it stuck in the heavens, and soon everyone was admiring the crown amongst the stars. You can find it there to this day.
And Ariadne? Well, naturally she lived happily ever after. What woman wouldn't, with a Greek God for a husband?...
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