MINOTAUR, in fabulous history, was a celebrated monster, half man and half bull. The minotaur was the fruit of Pasiphae's amour with a bull. Minos having refused to sacrifice a white bull to Neptune, an animal which he had received for that purpose from the god, this offended Neptune, and he made Pasiphae, the wife of Minos, enamoured of the bull, which had been refused to his altars. Dædalus prostituted his talents in subservience to the queen's unnatural desires, by which means Pasiphae's horrible passions were gratified, and the Minotaur came into the world. Minos confined in the labyrinth this monster, which convinced the world of his wife's lasciviousness, and reflected disgrace upon his family. The Minotaur usually devoured the chosen young men and maidens whom the tyranny of Minos yearly exacted from the Athenians. Theseus delivered his country from this tribute, when it had fallen to his lot to be sacrificed to the voracity of the Minotaur; and by means of Ariadne, the king's daughter, he destroyed the monster, and made his escape from the intricacies of the labyrinth.
The fabulous tradition of the Minotaur, and of the infamous commerce of Pasiphae, has often been explained. Some suppose that Pasiphae was enamoured of one of her husband's courtiers called Taurus; and that Dædalus favoured the passions of the queen, by suffering his house to become the retreat of the two lovers. Pasiphae some time afterwards brought forth twins, one of whom greatly resembled Minos, and the other Taurus; and in the natural resemblance of their countenance with that of their supposed fathers originated their name, and also the fable of the Minotaur.