theisius vs Ariadne

Theseus & Ariadne “My soul leaned out to grasp her. All else in this moment was as passing dust clouds or a summer shower.” says Theseus, the Athenian hero and narrator of The king Must Die by Mary Renault, about the kingdom of Athens as he looks over it from is father’s palace. Theseus has a stronger love for Athens then anything else, including the gods. Soon after he discovers the beauty of Athens, he …

…grew up in the Matriarchal culture where the women are the rulers, and the men are just there to work and get them pregnant. All the women in her culture are highly respected. If Theseus takes her back to Athens with him, she will never be able to respect him as a king who has authority over her. He wonders “Will she always see me as a mainland bull-boy, even when I am king?”. Probably.