Janani, an Upper IV Latin student, has always been interested in Greek Mythology. Recently she has written a piece in which she explores the overlooked fate of Ariadne, uncovering the darker and more intriguing theories that often get left out of the familiar tale. Here’s her article:

Whatever happened to poor Ariadne?

I’m sure we all know the famous story of Theseus and the Minotaur; Theseus sets of into a labyrinth, finds the Minotaur, slays the Minotaur, uses Ariadne’s string to find his way back out the labyrinth and then he marries Ariadne — pretty good happily ever after, right? Well, not quite — this is the story most of us want to here but, much to the delight of the more macabre of us here, there are numerous, rather dark, conspiracy theories as to what happened to her.

The most famous theory is that Theseus abandoned her on the island of Naxos after they eloped (some knight in shining armour) and she was found by Dionysus. Dionysus fell in love with her and made her immortal, taking her up to Mount Olympus with him.

The second theory, is that Artemis killed Ariadne on Naxos, supposedly because of a previous crime or another union with a god.

The third theory was that Ariadne committed suicide after being so heartbroken by Theseus.

There are many more theories as to what happened to Ariadne, ranging from marriage to death from childbirth. So, as you can see, sometimes, the most unnoticed things about mythology, are often the most interesting and morbidly fascinating to uncover.