I’m fascinated by the myth of Ariadne, partially because her end can be either a tragic romance or one of overcoming obstacles and becoming a goddess. Her tales vary widely. And my idea of her is completely colored by art. (I’m focusing on more modern art here, 1500s onward.)
In Crete
A quick summary of the myth: The first King of Crete, Minos, had a labyrinth built for the Minotaur. Every year, he ordered 14 Athenian youths to their death in the labyrinth as “tribute”. Theseus was sent to destroy the beast, and so he did.
But not without the help of Ariadne, the Princess of Crete – the daughter of the cruel King Minos and sister of the Minotaur via Pasiphaë.
Upon the arrival of Theseus, Ariadne fell instantly in love with him (god knows why). Girlfriend had brains and looks, though. She gave him a ball of thread so he could find himself out of the labyrinth.
Theseus promised to take her away after defeating the minotaur. Good thing too, as she would now be considered a traitor.
(I love how different the Minotaur looks here.)
Theseus kills the Minotaur thanks to Ariadne’s thread and advice. They escape.
In Naxos
Now things get slippery.
They arrive at the island of Naxos. And in one way or another, the couple separates. Theseus leaves her while she sleeps. Like a frayed rope, the end is freaking everywhere.
However, artists have latched onto the forlorn beauty left alone on the beach.
At least Theseus left her some jewels in this one. No food but diamonds, darling.
In one version of the myth, Ariadne had previously abandoned the god Dionysus for Theseus – and didn’t mention it. For this slight, Artemis kills her. In some versions, Theseus loved someone at home in Athens, so the scumbag dumped Ariadne on an island. In others, Athena tells Theseus to leave her for reasons. Athenian writers often showed Theseus following a moral duty to the gods. Maybe her being from Crete would be a disgrace (but he marries her sister later – Theseus was awful).
Artists Portraying Ariadne in Naxos
But the version most often seen in art is where Dionysus finds Ariadne, they fall instantly in love, and she becomes immortal in body or as a constellation.
Artists have often chosen to give her the happy ending. Theseus’s ship has only set sail, and she’s found a new beau. And a step up, too, the god of wine.
But the masterpiece of this scene is undoubtedly by Titian. Ariadne turns away from Theseus’s ship and towards the god and his followers. Dionysus promises Ariadne the Corona Borealis, that crown of stars in the top left, as a wedding gift.
Ignoring the bits of torn-up cow, it looks like a fun occasion.
The blues are stirring. I wept. Truly, it’s worth a visit to the National Gallery for it alone.
Art has informed her tale to modern audiences. Artemis and Athena and the various other versions are ignored – and so this is the most popular version today. It’s an interesting case of media changing perceptions. (Much like film and books do.)
Ariadne gets passed from a cruel father to a cruel “hero“, then to a god. In many versions, she becomes a goddess. As far as Greek myths go, it’s not the worst ending for a woman.
