To ensure that she would die with dignity, Phaedra wrote to Theseus on a tablet claiming that Hippolytus had raped her before hanging herself.
When Theseus arrived at Athens, he did not reveal his true identity immediately.
When Theseus returned to Athens, he found that the Dioscuri had taken Helen and Aethra back to Sparta.
On one of these fell occasions, Theseus volunteered to take the place of one of the youths in order to slay the monster.
When Theseus returned victorious to Athens, where he sacrificed the Bull, Medea tried to poison him.
After a titanic battle, Theseus successful dispatched the foul creature and managed to escape the island with all of the children (and Ariadne) in tow.
On the way to Marathon, Theseus took shelter from a storm in the hut of an ancient woman named Hecale.
Desiring proof, he decided to purposefully provoke Theseus by rustling his herd of cattle.
When Theseus and the youths returned to the city, there was much rejoicing, save by the heartsick king.
At the last second, Aegeus recognized the sandals, shield, and sword, and knocked the poisoned wine cup from Theseus's hand.
Young, brave, and ambitious, Theseus decided to follow the land route, and defeated a great many bandits along the way.
Their boat set off to Crete sporting a black sail, with Theseus promising his father that, if successful, he would replace it with a white sail before he returned.
Once in Crete, Theseus made a very favorable impression on King Minos' daughter Ariadne, who instantly fell in love with the handsome youth.
When Theseus finally caught up to the villainous thief, he challenged him to battle, and the two fell into a frenzy of attacks, parries, feints, and counter-feints.
Originally optimistic that her prince would return, Ariadne eventually realized that Theseus had only used her and she cursed him, causing him to forget to change the black sail to white.
The story of Theseus properly begins with the account of his semi-miraculous conception.
When Heracles came into Hades for his twelfth task, he freed Theseus but the earth shook when he attempted to liberate Pirithous, and Pirithous had to remain in Hades for eternity.
When Heracles had pulled Theseus from the chair where he was trapped, some of his thigh stuck to it; this explains the supposedly lean thighs of Athenians.
Much like Perseus, Cadmus, and Heracles, Theseus was a founder-hero whose exploits represented the triumph of Athenian mores and values over archaic and barbarous belief.
In yet another version, Phaedra simply told Theseus Hippolytus had raped her and did not kill herself, and Dionysus sent a wild bull which terrified Hippolytus's horses.
Each of these sites was a very sacred place already of great antiquity when the deeds of Theseus were first attested in painted ceramics, which predate the literary texts.
Philosophical questions about the nature of identity in circumstances like this are sometimes referred to as a Ship of Theseus Paradox.
When Theseus finally caught up to the villainous thief, he challenged him to battle, and the two fell into a frenzy of attacks, parries, feints, and counter-feints.
Artemis would later tell Theseus the truth, promising to avenge her loyal follower on another follower of Aphrodite.
Aegeus' wife Medea recognized Theseus immediately as Aegeus' son and worried that Theseus would be chosen as heir to Aegeus' kingdom instead of her son, Medus.