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Tethys
Ariadne is Pasiphaë’s and Minos’s daughter. She is sympathetic toward the Minotaur, as she sees the creature as her brother. When she falls in love with Theseus, one of the mortals that is sent by the king of Athens as a sacrifice to the Minotaur, she arms him and teaches him how to make his way through the Labyrinth, the maze that Daedalus constructed to hold the Minotaur. She later runs away with Theseus, but Dionysus decides to claim her as his own. It is not stated whether Ariadne had any say in the matter, but it is likely that she didn’t; the story shows time and time again that the gods and men of ancient Greece take what they want of women. However, Dionysus never gets to her, as Artemis kills her. The reason is not known, but Hermes guesses that it was “Some incomprehensible slight” that threw Artemis into a rage, demonstrating once again the callousness of the gods.
Ariadne Quotes in Circe
The Circe quotes below are all either spoken by Ariadne or refer to Ariadne. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 10 Quotes
This was how mortal found fame, I thought. Through practice and diligence, tending their skills like garden until they glowed beneath the sun. But gods are born of ichor and nectar, their excellences already bursting from their fingertips. So they find their fame by proving what they can mar: destroying cities, starting wars, breeding plagues and monsters. All that smoke and savor rising so delicately from our altars. It leaves only ash behind.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Circe LitChart as a printable PDF.
Ariadne Character Timeline in Circe
The timeline below shows where the character Ariadne appears in Circe. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10
...young girl dancing in a courtyard. The girl approaches and introduces herself as her niece, Ariadne.
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When Circe tells Ariadne that she must speak with Daedalus, the young girl offers to take her to his...
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Accompanied by Ariadne, Circe stands before Pasiphaë and Minos, the latter of whom is old and ghastly. He...
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...Pasiphaë jeers at Minos, asking whether he thought the girls died from pleasure, Circe takes Ariadne with her as she leaves. They walk back to the courtyard, where Ariadne asks whether...
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Chapter 12
Ariadne fell in love with Theseus. Before he entered the Labyrinth (the lair that Daedalus had...
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Hermes proceeds with Ariadne’s tale, which ends with her dying at the hands of Artemis, although he never understood...
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Chapter 21
...Telegonus shakes his head, saying that they are brothers. His statement makes Circe think of Ariadne’s affection for the Minotaur. Realizing that there is no changing Telegonus’s mind and taking comfort...
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