The Minotaur (opera) return for her assistance, she hopes she can persuade Theseus to take her to Athens. The Snake Priestess, speaking through the Hiereus, advises Ariadne to give Theseus a ball of twine. If he unwinds it as he descends into the labyrinth, he will be able to retrace his journey to the outside world. The Snake Priestess also confirms that Ariadne will set sail for Athens with Theseus. "Scene 11: A Blind Bargain" Ariadne relays the Snake Priestess's prophecy to Theseus. Theseus sets off to confront the Minotaur. "Scene 12: The Labyrinth" Theseus meets the Minotaur at the centre of the
Minotaur by a semicircle of small balls, probably intended for stars; one of the monster's names was Asterion ("star"). While the ruins of Minos' palace at Knossos were discovered, the labyrinth never was. The enormous number of rooms, staircases and corridors in the palace has led some archaeologists to suggest that the palace itself was the source of the labyrinth myth, an idea generally discredited today. Homer, describing the shield of Achilles, remarked that Daedalus had constructed a ceremonial dancing ground for Ariadne, but does not associate this with the term "labyrinth". Some modern mythologists regard the Minotaur as a solar