Minos , in Greek mythology, king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa.
He was the husband of Pasiphaë, who bore him Androgeus, Glaucus,
Ariadne, and Phaedra. Because Minos failed to sacrifice a beautiful
white bull to Poseidon, the god caused Pasiphaë to conceive a
lustful passion for the animal, by whom she bore the Minotaur, a
monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man. The
craftsman Daedalus constructed the labyrinth in which the monster
was confined. When King Aegeus of Athens killed Androgeus, Minos
vengefully forced Athens to pay him an annual tribute of seven
youths and seven maidens. These he shut up inside the labyrinth,
where they either starved or were devoured. Finally Theseus joined
a group of the victims and killed the Minotaur. Minos became the
most prosperous king of the Mediterranean area, renowned as much
for his justness as his power. Along with Aeacus and Rhadamanthus,
he became one of the three judges of Hades. Minos was presumably
the name or title of an ancient Cretan king. The Minoan
civilization is named for him.