THESEUS and the MINOTAUR part 1

Long ago, in Athens, ruled a king called Aegeus, and his son Theseus. Minos, king of Crete, had fought against the Athenians. He won and before returning to Crete he had made a cruel law to maintain peace.
Each year the Athenians were forced to send seven young men and seven young women to be sacrificed to the Minotaur. This was a monster who lived in the labyrinth placed at the shores of Crete.
Theseus determined to make an end of the beast, he went and told his father Aegeus.
The father wasn't please with the fact that he had to go defenseless and naked like the rest of the people.
Spring came and as usual, seven young men and seven young women, chosen by lot, journeyed in a ship with black sails, to be torn in pieces by the savage Minotaur. Theseus offered himself to the herald in charge, and was taken as part of the sacrifice. His father made him promise to take care of himself and in the event that he succeeded, he had to take down the black sail of the ship and hoist instead a white one, in that way he would know afar that he is safe.
The journey began, he whispered to his companions:"Have hope, for the monster is not immortal."
At last, they arrived to Crete, and to Cnossus, beneath the peaks of Ida, and to the palace of Minos, to whom Zeus himself taught laws. Minus was the wisest of all mortal kings, and conquered all the Aegean isles; and his ships were as many as the sea-gulls, and his palace like a marble hill.
Theseus stood before Minos and cried: " O Minos! Let me be thrown first to the beast. For I came to that very purpose, of my own will, and not by lot. I am the son of whom you hates the most, Aegeus the king of Athens, and I am com here to end this matter. I have sworn that I will not go back till I have seen the monster face to face."
Minos frowned and said: "Then you shall see him." Then they led Theseus away. But Ariadne, Mino's
daughter, saw him, as she came out of her white stone hall; and she loved him for his courage. By night she went down to the prison and told him: "Flee down to your ship at once, for I have bribed the guards before the door. Flee, you and all your friends, and go back in peace to Greece; and take me with you!
I dare not stay after you are gone; for my father will kill me if he knows what I have done."
Theseus stood silent awhile; for he was astonished and confounded by her beauty; but at last he said:
"I cannot go home in peace, till I have seen and slain this Minotaur, and avenged the deaths of the youths and girls, and put an end to the terrors of my land."