The last story. Theseus is in Athens, and he is the king’s son. But every nine years, Athens must send a tribute to King Minos of Crete.
Theseus: The Road to Athens · C2+
The Finale: The Minotaur
Clue and clew, comprise, whomever, as though, disinterested, lie and lay, militate and mitigate, dangling participles, begging the question, inasmuch as, had it not been for, and the reason is that: the finest points of English, deep in the Labyrinth.
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SOPHIA
PHILO
The Minotaur.
The story
After the old stories of Theseus
The tribute comprised seven young men and seven young women, whom Minos fed to the Minotaur, half man and half bull, in the Labyrinth that Daedalus had built beneath his palace. Minos was hardly a disinterested judge: his own son had died in Athens.
Theseus sailed with the tribute. In Crete, the king’s daughter Ariadne looked at him as though she had known him all her life. She gave him a sword and a ball of thread, a clew, so that he could find his way out.
Deep within the Labyrinth, the beast lay in wait, as it had lain for years. The darkness militated against any attempt to map the passages. Having slain the beast, Theseus followed the thread back to the light.
But on the voyage home he forgot to change his black sails for white, as he had promised. Aegeus, watching from the cliff, saw the black sails, thought his son was dead, and threw himself into the sea. The reason the sea is called the Aegean is that King Aegeus died there.
Clue and clew; comprise
PHILO
Our word clue comes from clew, a ball of thread. Ariadne’s thread was the first clue.
SOPHIA
And comprise: strictly, the whole comprises the parts, with no of: the tribute comprised fourteen people. “Comprised of” is common, but careful writers avoid it.
Whom and whomever; as though
DEMETRIA
Minos fed to the beast whomever Athens sent. Because Athens sent them.
SOPHIA
Choose the form by its job inside its own clause: object → whom / whomever. And as though + backshifted tense for something unreal: as though she had known him.
Disinterested; lie and lay; militate
MARCOS
Disinterested means bored, right?
SOPHIA
Traditionally, no: disinterested = impartial; uninterested = bored. And lie, lay, lain (recline) vs lay, laid, laid (put down). Militate against = work against; mitigate = make less severe.
Dangling participles; begging the question
PHILO
“Having slain the beast, the thread led Theseus back.” But the thread didn’t slay anything!
SOPHIA
A dangling participle: the opening clause must refer to the subject. Having slain the beast, Theseus followed the thread. And strictly, to beg the question means to assume what you are trying to prove.
Inasmuch as; had it not been for; the reason is that
DEMETRIA
Had it not been for Ariadne’s thread, he would never have escaped. And the reason the sea is called Aegean is that Aegeus died there.
SOPHIA
Not “the reason is because”: the reason already means because. And inasmuch as = because, to the extent that. The whole road, from Aethra is his mother to here. Well walked.
Sophia’s summary
| Form | Use | From the story |
|---|---|---|
| clue / clew; comprise (no of) | origin; the whole comprises the parts | The tribute comprised fourteen people. |
| whom / whomever | the object form | whomever Athens sent |
| as though + backshift | unreal comparison | as though she had known him |
| disinterested / uninterested | impartial / bored | a disinterested judge |
| lie–lay–lain / lay–laid–laid | recline / put down | The beast lay in wait. |
| had it not been for; the reason is that | formal conditional; no “because” | The reason is that Aegeus died there. |
Practice
Answer all the questions, then press “Check my answers”. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Choose
Choose the form careful writers prefer.
1. The crew ___ fifty oarsmen.
2. Give the thread to ___ you trust.
3. A judge should be ___.
4. The beast ___ in the dark all day yesterday.
5. The darkness ___ against any escape.
6. The reason he failed is ___ he forgot the sails.
B · Write
Write the missing word.
7. it not been for the thread, he would have died.
8. She looked as though she had him for years. (know)
9. The monster had in wait for years. (lie)
10. He was punished as he had broken his promise. (formal because)
C · Right or wrong?
Is it correct in careful English?
11. “Having slain the beast, the thread led Theseus out.”
12. “Minos was hardly a disinterested judge.”
13. “The reason is because he forgot.”
Now enter the Labyrinth yourself, for the finale.Play the gamebook →