Cretan Bull
Seventh Labor of Heracles in Greek Myth
The Cretan Bull is a massive sacred bull of Greek mythology, the target of Heracles's seventh labor. Originally sent by Poseidon to King Minos of Crete to be sacrificed, Minos was so captivated by its beauty he kept it alive. The enraged Poseidon cursed Minos's wife Pasiphaë with passion for the bull, leading to the birth of the Minotaur. The bull subsequently ravaged Crete until Heracles captured and brought it to Mycenae. From the Latin 'taurus' (bull), it directly connects to the constellation Taurus.
Origin
The Cretan Bull was a sacred bull of Greek mythology, originally sent by Poseidon as a sacrificial offering to King Minos of Crete. When Minos kept the bull for its beauty, the enraged Poseidon drove it mad. It later became the target of Heracles's seventh labor; the hero Theseus eventually captured it again on the plain of Marathon and sacrificed it to Athena.
Features
- A massive sacred bull, often depicted as white
- Said to breathe fire from its nostrils and mouth
- Driven to frenzy, it ravaged the island of Crete
- A divine being symbolizing the wrath of the gods
- Sire of the Minotaur (with Queen Pasiphaë)
Stories
In Greek myth the Cretan Bull embodies divine wrath at a human breach of promise, and the glory of heroic deeds. It is a rare figure that crosses both the Heracles cycle and the Theseus cycle.
Weakness
Heracles overpowered it bare-handed and dragged it to Mycenae, and Theseus finally caught it on the plain of Marathon and offered it as sacrifice — sacred though it was, it yielded to heroic prowess.