Middlemarch vocabulary

the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. Like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, Theseus battled and overcame foes that were identified with an archaic religious and social order. In the same way that Heracles was the founding hero for the Dorians, Theseus was a founding hero for the Athenians. The Athenians regarded Theseus as a great reformer. The myths surrounding Theseus—his journeys, exploits, and family—have provided material for fiction throughout the ages.

When Theseus grew up and became a brave young man, he moved the rock and recovered his father's tokens. His mother then told him the truth about his father's identity and that he must take the sword and sandals back to king Aegeus to claim his birthright. To journey to Athens, Theseus could choose to go by sea (which was the safe way) or by land, following a dangerous path around the Saronic Gulf, where he would encounter a string of six entrances to the Underworld,each guarded by a chthonic* enemy. Young, brave, and ambitious, Theseus decided to go alone by the land route and defeated a great many bandits along the way.