Theseus Ring
Gold signet ring from Mycenaean Greece with bull-leaping scene.
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A gold signet ring from the Mycenaean period, the Theseus Ring dates to the 15th century BC and features a bull-leaping scene typical of Minoan art. It was discovered in a pile of earth during construction in the Plaka’s Anafiotika area, Athens’ ancient center. The ring now resides in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
Origin of the name in legend
The ring was named after an ancient Greek myth about Theseus. In the story, a dispute arose between Minos and Theseus over Theseus's parentage.
Minos, son of Zeus, doubted Theseus's claim of divine descent from Poseidon. To test him, Minos threw a ring overboard and challenged Theseus to retrieve it from the ocean floor. Fishes carried Theseus to the palace of Amphitrite, Poseidon's wife, who gave him the ring and a jeweled crown later placed among the stars.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Theseus Ring (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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