Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete brigands, killing everyone including Ariadne's foster parents, but Ariadne is rescued by Theseus, son of King Aegeus of Athens, and his Cretan friend Demetrio, who happen to pass by and drive away the brigands. Upon seeing her, Demetrio immediately notices Ariadne's striking resemblance to Princess Phaedra, but Ariadne knows nothing of her true heritage. Theseus and Ariadne accompany Demetrios back to Crete, but Chirone returns before them, alerting Phaedra to their arrival. Phaedra has her soldiers go after the friends; Ariadne is captured, Demetrio killed, and Theseus is almost slain as well. Rescued by the sea goddess Anfitrite, but refusing
Ariadne (poem) in the former, The poem's emphasis on 'true love', on shared values of courage and loyalty, may be seen as its primary theme. The realistic, psychological interpretation of the Minotaur story reflects Lucas's interest in the discoveries of modern psychology. The contrast between light-loving Athens and benighted Minoan Crete, hag-ridden with religion, reflects another authorial preference. (The epigraph, from Bacchylides, is "δίζησθαι δὲ φιλαγλάους Ἀθάνας", 'Set out for Athens, land that loves the light'.) Extracts from the poem were read on the BBC Home Service in 1934. "Ariadne" was reprinted by the Cambridge University Press in May 2014. "Ariadne" was,