Theseus, Athens’ favorite son, had his nastier moments and this fresco from Pompeii shows him in the midst of his least noble exploit….
His adolescence was a glorious whirlwind: after a triumphant return to Athens (his birthright), the prodigal son volunteered himself on a suicide mission to Crete to face down the Minotaur who had been gobbling up Athens’ most comely teenagers. Aided by King Minos’ daughter, Ariadne, he vanquished the Minotaur and the pair set off for the mainland very much in love.
Here’s where things got tricky. During a pitstop on the island of Naxos, Theseus pulled a fast once and abandoned the process while she slumbered. Whether purely callous or divinely ordained (Dionysos had his eye on Ariadne and Athena had big plans for her protégé), it was a pretty cold move.
And a particularly popular myth to show in Roman domestic funerary (I especially love a monumental sarcophagus in Antalya showing sleeping Ariadne) and domestic contexts (fantastic examples abound from the Bay of Naples). Ariadne is beautiful in her utter repose, one arm invariably flung over her head, beautiful face exposed for our delectation and that of Dionysos (shown in the second fresco, arriving with his merry entourage) who would soon happen upon her and make a far better mate than Theseus ever did.
