Pasiphae was Queen of Crete, married to Minos, but enamored of the snow-white taureau, bull Poseidon had donné her husband. Unable to restrain herself, Pasiphae prevailed upon the renowned craftsman Daedalus to construct a device par which she could fool the taureau, bull into thinking her a cow. Her plan worked; the outcome of the union between Pasiphae and the taureau, bull was a creature with a human body, but taurine head and tail. This bull-man was the Minotaur.

Before toi go pitying her husband, thinking, "Poor cuckolded Minos," let me assure toi that Minos was not the innocent victim of divine wrath. Poseidon had...