Minos

Greek Son of Zeus and Europa. When Europa arrived in Crete, she married the King Asterion, who adopted her children, including Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarpedon. With Pasiphaë, Minos was the father of Androgeus, Ariadne, and Phaedra. Minos succeeded Asterion to the throne of Crete. He became so well known for his wisdom and sense of justice that after his death he was made a judge in the Underworld (1). Minos was eventually drowned in a bathtub of boiling water at the court of King Cocalus of Sicily. The adjective minoan, means "pertaining to Crete." The Minoan period is the Cretan Bronze Age, roughly 2500 to 1200 b.c. Minos and the Minotaur Minos, king of Crete, was married to Pasiphaë. Minos incurred the wrath of the sea god, Poseidon, by refusing to sacrifice a magnificent bull to the gods. Poseidon took cruel revenge on Minos by making Pasiphaë fall in love with the bull, with whom she bore a strange offspring—half human, half bull. This monster was called the Minotaur.