Each of us has heard the expression "Ariadne's thread" at least once in our lives. Often we call something that helped us understand a difficult situation, find a way out of it. The emergence of this phraseological unit is associated with ancient Greek mythology.
Who is Ariadne?
The thread is a ball that was given to the Athenian hero Theseus by Ariadne. She was the daughter of King Minos of Crete and the sister of the terrible Minotaur who lived in the labyrinth.
The beautiful Ariadne fell in love with the young Athenian youth Theseus. He reciprocated her. But the lovers were not destined to be together, because Theseus arrived in Crete along with other boys and girls to die a terrible death. They will become victims of the Minotaur - a monstrous creature, half bull, half man.
Once every nine years, the inhabitants of Athens must give seven young girls and boys to be devoured by the Minotaur. Such a bloody tribute was set for them by the gods of Olympus.
The young son of the Athenian king Theseus decided to destroy the monster, thereby saving his native city from the need for terrible sacrifices. But how to deal with this, because they will be thrown into the labyrinth unarmed? Even having won, it is unlikely that you will be able to escape. confusing corridors andnumerous rooms of the labyrinth with their deadly traps will become a place of death, it is impossible to find a way out of it.
But the daughter of King Minos came to the rescue, conquered by the beauty of the young man. Love made her betray her father and her homeland.
Guiding thread, love and betrayal
Secretly making her way to Theseus, Ariadne handed him the dagger with which the brave young man was supposed to stab the Minotaur. And so that he would not get lost in a terrible labyrinth, she handed a ball to her beloved.
Theseus tied the end of the thread at the entrance to the palace of the Minotaur. Going deeper into the labyrinth, he unwound the ball. And when the young man met the Minotaur and slew him, he found his way back with the help of a thread.
This is where the expression "Ariadne's thread", "guiding thread" came from. But the story of the heroes of myth does not end there.
Love Ariadne fled from Crete with Theseus on his ship. But she also had to endure betrayal. Caught in a strong storm, Theseus' ship landed on the island of Naxos. When the sea calmed down, Theseus went on, leaving the girl sleeping from fatigue. The help provided by Ariadne, the thread that led out of the labyrinth, the dagger that killed the Minotaur were forgotten.
Waking up, the girl fell into despair from the treachery of the man for whose salvation she sacrificed everything. Ariadne stayed on the island, was a priestess, and then Dionysus, the god of winemaking, married her.
What does "Ariadne's thread" mean?
So, this expression is used in the meaning"guiding thread". In a broad sense, it means a tool that can help get out of a difficult situation, solve a complicated issue or cope with a problem.
It's not for nothing that the TV show, designed to provide psychological assistance to people who find themselves in a difficult life situation and see no way out, is called "Ariadne's Thread".
At the end of the 19th century, an ancient civilization called the Minoan was discovered on the island of Crete. Found and excavated the Palace of Knossos labyrinth. It is symbolic that its discoverer, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans, said that, like a guiding thread, he was guided and led in his search by ancient Greek myths about the Minotaur, Theseus and Ariadne.
The story of Ariadne's thread in art
The guiding thread of Ariadne is also reflected in art. Artists, poets, and playwrights paid their attention to this story. The most famous paintings are "Bacchus and Ariadne" by Titian, "Ariadne wakes up and sees the sailing ship of Theseus" by John William Waterhouse. Of the sculptural images, one should remember Ariadne from the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.
Very Bryusov's poem, written in 1902, is called "Ariadne's Thread". Vladimir Vysotsky also has a work with the same name. Marina Tsvetaeva's Peru owns the play "Ariadne".
Love, self-denial, betrayal and the guiding thread of Ariadne - this story will inspire people to create new masterpieces more than once.
