Theseus

Theseus lifting the rock
Theseus lived most of his early life with his grandfather, Pittheus, and his mother, Aethra, because his father, King Aegeus of Athens, was afraid that his nephews the Pallantidae would kill Theseus. When Theseus was old and strong enough his mother told him about his father and the sword and sandals Aegeus had left under the rock for him to find. Ignoring the advice to take the sea route, Theseus left for Athens by way of road. Theseus came across many bandits which he all killed. He met with Periphetes, who beat people to death with his club, Sciron who forced people to stop by the cliffs and wash there feet where then he would push them off into the man eating turtles below, and Procrustes who offered travelers a chance to sleep in a bed and if they did not fit he would cut them , or stretch them to make them fit. When Theseus arrived at Athens Medea had Aegeus under a spell. Knowing who Theseus was, Medea tried to convince Aegeus to invite Theseus to dinner and then poison him. During dinner Theseus withdrew his sword to cut the meat. Seeing the sword he had left under the rock for his son to find, Aegeus knocked over the cup of poison and banished Medea from Athens. Theseus and the Minotaur
When Minos', King of Crete, son was murdered he began demanding that every nine years Athens would send seven of its best men and women to fight against the Minotaur. When it was time for the next group to leave Theseus join the group on the terms that if he killed the Minotaur everyone would be sent home. Before leaving Aegeus gave him two sets of sails, black and white. If the mission was a success Theseus was to hang the white sail if not the black was to say on the mast. Upon landing on Crete the group was taken to the labyrinth, the home of the Minotaur. While on Crete Minos' daughter Ariadne, saw Theseus and fell in love with him. Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread so he would not get lost in the labyrinth. Theseus slew the Minotaur and him, Ariadne and the other Athenians fled to there ships and left Crete. On their way home they stop on the island of Naxos and while Ariadne was asleep they left her on the island. She was later rescued by Dionysus, they were then married. When the party sight Athens they began to celebrate, but Theseus had forgotten to put up the white sail. When Aegeus saw the black sail ships on the horizon he became depressed with guilt thinking he had sent his son to his death. Aegeus flung himself into the sea, which then became the Aegean sea. Returning home Theseus became the king of Athens. 1