The modern meaning of the expression Ariadne's thread. What does the expression "Ariadne's thread" mean? Meeting with Ariadne

Probably every citizen in our country has heard the phrase “Ariadne’s thread.” The USSR even produced a beautiful cartoon based on this ancient Greek legend.

The very essence of this legend is this: in ancient Greece there lived a great master named Daedalus. Rumors about his skill reached the wise king Minos.
The king called this master to his place and offered him a special job. He had to go to the island of Crete and create a stone labyrinth there.
Daedalus did his job and the Minotaur, who was the successor of King Minos himself, was imprisoned in this labyrinth.

The Minotaur was not human; according to legend, he had the head of a bull and a body similar to a human. He was endowed with enormous strength and incredible gluttony.

There was not enough money in the royal treasury to feed such a giant. Therefore, King Minos issued a decree according to which the inhabitants of the glorious city of Athens were asked to pay tribute. It said that tribute should be paid by people. Every nine years, seven young men and seven girls. They had to be taken to the labyrinth and left for the Minotaur to profit from.
The cunning king Minos forced the free inhabitants of Athens to pay this cruel tax.

Theseus learned about the misfortune that befell the glorious city and decided to help the poor residents cope with their misfortune. He decides to go on a ship along with other doomed people who were decided to be sacrificed. Theseus was not an ordinary guy, he was the son of King Aegeus and Ephra. the blood of the gods flowed in his veins.
Arriving in Crete and going ashore, Theseus meets the daughter of the cruel king Minos, Ariadne. This girl falls in love with Theseus at first sight and gives him an excellent sword and a ball of thread.

Theseus, along with the gifts, received instructions on how to use this ball. He followed Ariadne's advice exactly, tied one end of the thread to a column near the entrance and boldly stepped into the labyrinth. So he walked, unwinding the ball, until in the inky darkness he suddenly felt the breath of a cruel beast.
The Minotaur, sensing the young man, rushed at him with a roar to have lunch. However, Theseus was not a miss and had an excellent reaction. With a well-honed blow, he cut chest this monster. It fell, covering the floor with its black blood.
In order to return from this tangled labyrinth, Theseus began to wind the “thread of Ariadne” around his hand, again winding through the dark passages. After some time, he again found himself on the surface and breathed a sigh of relief, even this gloomy dungeon was pressing on him.

The speech pattern came to us from ancient greek myths, and it goes back to the adventures of the hero Theseus.

Somehow, after ordinary exploits, Theseus arrived in Athens. The city-state was sad. Of course! After all, he had to equip another parcel for a terrible monster - the Minotaur (a man with the head of a bull). It included seven boys and seven girls. This was the payment for the fact that the Athenians killed the son of the Cretan king, Androgeus. The king himself was called Minos.

Readers will have to be patient to find out the meaning of the expression “Ariadne’s thread” (the meaning of the phraseological unit - further, now is history time).

Theseus, as a true hero, could not allow injustice to happen and begged his father (the mayor of Athens, Aegeus) to send him along with tribute to Crete to visit the Minotaur. Of course, the father was not eager to send his only son for breakfast or lunch to the monster, but what can you do, this is not an easy lot for the heroes - they have to help everyone out.

Meeting with Ariadne

Much to Theseus’s happiness, Minos also had a daughter, Ariadne, who, as soon as she saw Theseus, immediately fell in love with him. And this is not surprising, because Theseus was favored by the goddess of love herself.

Of course, like any girl who had just found love, Ariadne did not want to lose her, so she gave Theseus a thread gathered into a ball and ordered him to tie its beginning to the entrance to the Labyrinth (the home of the Minotaur), so that after the young man had dealt with the Minotaur, he found his way back easily. As they say in Russian fairy tales, once said, done.

True, the ending of this story is a little sad. If the reader is interested not only in the meaning of the phrase “Ariadne’s thread” (the meaning of a phraseological unit, in other words), but also in the denouement of the story, then we direct him to the wonderful book “Myths Ancient Greece» N.A. Kuna. In turn, we are ready to reveal the secret of the meaning of a phraseological unit and illustrate it with an example from everyday life.

Meaning

A savvy reader can easily guess everything himself. The expression “Ariadne’s thread” means some key that will allow you to get out of a difficult situation. For example, books are Ariadne’s thread, because they allow you to get out of the labyrinth of your own ignorance.

Cheat sheet like Ariadne's thread in the exam

Famous story. A student (or schoolboy) stays up all night and thinks about the upcoming math exam. Our hero is a diligent student, but one problem is that he has a bad memory, and the student cannot remember complex calculation formulas.

The hero’s mother comes to the rescue and tells him: “Son, write a cheat sheet. This invention of human thought has two undeniable advantages: firstly, when you write it, you simultaneously remember the material, and secondly, you feel confident with it during the exam.”

No sooner said than done. The exam has been passed. The Minotaur is defeated. Everyone is happy. And we finally figured out the meaning of the expression “Ariadne’s thread.” The meaning of a phraseological unit is no longer a mystery to us.

What does phraseology teach us?

The first thing that comes to mind when we read the story of Theseus is, of course, that being helps the strong and brave. The second is that even the strongest sometimes need help in their exploits. And third, and most importantly: from any, even the most difficult situation there is a way out. Such is the versatility of the expression “Ariadne’s thread.” We consider the meaning of the phrase from a moral (didactic) point of view.

There are no truly “lucky” people in the world. Reality doesn't give gifts. Each person has to pay for his success and win it through work and patience. And each of us sometimes needs “Ariadne’s thread.” Phraseologism, which traces its genealogy to the myths and legends of Ancient Greece, has become an integral part of the Russian language.

Ariadne's thread, Ariadne's thread
IN Greek mythology Ariadne is the daughter of the Cretan king Minos and Pasiphae. When Prince Theseus arrived in Crete from Athens with the young men doomed to be devoured by the Minotaur, Ariadne fell in love with him. The Minotaur was in the Labyrinth - a palace with so many passages that it was impossible to get out of it. Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of thread, which he unwound as he entered the Labyrinth. Having killed the Minotaur, Theseus got out of the Labyrinth along an unwound thread (Ovid, Metamorphoses). IN figuratively Ariadne's thread is a guiding thread, an opportunity that helps to get out of a difficult situation.

Achilles heel
In Greek mythology, Achilles (Achilles) is one of the strongest and bravest heroes; it is sung in Homer's Iliad. A post-Homeric myth, transmitted by the Roman writer Hyginus, reports that Achilles’ mother, the goddess Thetis, wanting to make her son immortal, immersed him in the sacred waters of the River Styx; only the heel, by which Thetis held him, did not touch the water and remained vulnerable. It was on this heel that Achilles was mortally wounded by Paris's arrow. The expression “Achilles' heel” that arose from this is used to mean: a weak, vulnerable place.

Sword of Damocles
The expression originated from an ancient Greek legend told by Cicero. Damocles, one of the close associates of the Syracusan tyrant Dionysius the Elder, began to enviously speak of him as the happiest of people. Dionysius, in order to teach the envious man a lesson, put him in his place. During the feast, Damocles saw a sharp sword hanging above his head from a horsehair. Dionysius explained that this is a symbol of the dangers to which he, as a ruler, is constantly exposed, despite the apparent happy life. Hence the expression “sword of Damocles” received the meaning of impending, threatening danger.

Sisyphus's work
In Greek mythology, the Corinthian king Sisyphus was punished by the gods for his many sins: in the afterlife, he was sentenced to roll a heavy stone up a mountain, which, barely reaching the top, rolled down, and all the work had to be started all over again. The expression is used to mean: hard, endless and fruitless work.

Sink into oblivion. Summer
In Greek mythology, Lethe is the river of oblivion in the underworld. The souls of the dead, having tasted the water from Lethe, forgot about their earthly life. “Sink into oblivion” - to be forgotten, to disappear without a trace.

The expression “Ariadne's thread” (Ariadne's thread) has the meaning: guiding thread; guiding thought; a way to help get out of a difficult situation; solving a difficult question with the help of a hint.

Originated from the Greek myths of the Athenian hero Theseus, who killed the Minotaur, a monstrous half-bull, half-man. At the request of the Cretan king Minos, the Athenians were obliged to send seven young men and seven girls to Crete every year to be devoured by the Minotaur, who lived in a labyrinth built for him, from which no one could escape. Theseus was helped to accomplish this dangerous feat by the daughter of the Cretan king, Ariadne, who fell in love with him. Secretly from her father, she gave him a sharp sword and a ball of thread. When Theseus and the young men and girls doomed to be torn to pieces were taken into the labyrinth, Theseus tied the end of a thread at the entrance and walked through the intricate passages, gradually unwinding the ball. Having killed the Minotaur, Theseus found the way back from the labyrinth along a thread and brought out all the doomed from there (Ovid, Metamorphoses, 8, 172; Heroides, 10, 103).

"Ariadne's Thread" quote:

...we will cheerfully go towards the malicious intent, and if the Ariadne thread in our hands leads us to the doors of the lair, then of course ... in order to undoubtedly and inevitably be caught red-handed (M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, Monrepos' Shelter, Anxieties and Joys of Monrepos ).

Children, perhaps no less than us adults, are looking for one guiding principle and an Ariadne thread that would lead them out of the labyrinth of their childhood misunderstandings (N.V. Shelgunov, Letters on Education).

Winged words and expressions on

Probably every citizen in our country has heard the phrase “Ariadne’s thread”. The USSR even produced a beautiful cartoon based on this ancient Greek legend.

The Minotaur was not human; according to legend, he had the head of a bull and a body similar to a human. He was endowed with enormous strength and incredible gluttony.

Theseus, along with the gifts, received instructions on how to use this ball. He followed Ariadne's advice exactly, tied one end of the thread to a column near the entrance and boldly stepped into the labyrinth. So he walked, unwinding the ball, until in the inky darkness he suddenly felt the breath of a cruel beast.
The Minotaur, sensing the young man, rushed at him with a roar to have lunch. However, Theseus was not a miss and had an excellent reaction. With a well-honed blow, he cut the chest of this monster. It fell, flooding the floor with its black blood.
In order to return from this tangled labyrinth, Theseus began to wind the “Ariadne’s thread” around his hand, again winding through the dark passages. After some time, he again found himself on the surface and breathed a sigh of relief, even this gloomy dungeon was pressing on him.

This legend with Theseus and Ariadne, who was in love with him, remained forever in the memory of generations. It has survived to this day, again and again people admire the feat of Theseus and the beautiful girl who gave him help, which was later called “Ariadne’s thread”. Now this phraseological unit is called a method that can help in solving a very complex problem or as help in a difficult situation.

What is Ariadne's thread video

The phraseology “Ariadne’s thread” came from the history of the Hellenes and retained its meaning until the present century. It is known from Greek myths that the beautiful Ariadne used a ball to create a way out of the labyrinth, so the second name for this thread is guiding. Who was this girl saving, and why did they interfere with her fate?

What does the expression "Ariadne's thread" mean?

The phraseological unit “Ariadne’s thread” is one of the few that has not changed its meaning over the centuries. The story of Theseus, who was helped by Ariadne's guiding thread to get out of the labyrinth, is the best explanation of the meaning of this expression. His figurative meaning Linguists explain how:

way out of a difficult situation;
a thread showing the way;
guiding principle.

Who is Ariadne in Greek mythology?

Ariadne in mythology is the daughter of the ruler of Crete, Minos and Pasiphae, and was raised on the island. She became legendary thanks to her intervention in the fate of the great Greek hero Theseus. The girl helped the daredevil get out of the labyrinth, where he defeated the monster to which people were sacrificed. Realizing that they would be overtaken by the ruler’s wrath, the lovers fled to Athens, to Theseus’s father. But then the gods of Olympus intervened in the girl’s fate. Several versions have been preserved about the further fate of the hero’s savior:

The gods ordered Theseus to leave the girl on the island of Naxos, where she was killed by the arrow of the hunting goddess Artemis.
When the conqueror of the Minotaur landed Ariadne on Naxos, the god Dionysus chose her as his wife. He gave the beauty a crown of diamonds; a legend has been preserved that this decoration is supposedly kept in the heavens, like the constellation of the Northern Crown.
Theseus fled from Crete alone, and Ariadne died in childbirth; her grave was located for a long time in the grove of Aphrodite.

Myths of Ancient Greece - Ariadne's thread

The myth of Ariadne is part of the myth about the feat of Theseus, one of the most famous heroes of the Greek epic. The Athenian king Aegeus was also called his father. The king of Athens left the boy with his mother in the city of Troezen, ordering him to be sent when he came of age. On the way to his father, the young man accomplished many feats and was recognized as a prince.

What is Ariadne's thread?

The myth tells about the feat of the hero Theseus, who went to the island of Crete to defeat the Minotaur. The monster demanded victims of seven young people every year. To prevent it from breaking free, it was kept in a labyrinth built by the great scientist Daedalus. The daughter of the king of Crete, Ariadne, fell in love with Theseus and risked helping, although she realized that she would anger the ruler.

The girl understood that even if the hero defeats the Minotaur, he will not be able to get out of the labyrinth. How did Ariadne help Theseus? Secretly she handed over a ball of thread. The daredevil tied a thread near the entrance to the gallery and unwound it along the road. Having defeated the monster, the hero was able to follow this trail back and bring out all those sentenced to sacrifice to the Minotaur. Ariadne's thread is a way out of a difficult situation; it showed the way, which is why it is also called a guiding thread.

Ariadne and Theseus - myth

It is believed that Theseus and Ariadne are the heroes of the legend about courage, love and self-sacrifice. But according to one version, love for Theseus was born in the heart of the princess by the goddess of beauty Aphrodite, who liked the hero. According to another version, the Minotaur was Ariadne’s brother, whom the family was ashamed and afraid of, so there were no people willing to become related to the rulers of Crete. This was the reason that the princess decided to help the hero: to find a husband and to get off the island.

Some Greek storytellers claimed that Ariadne allegedly gave the daredevil not only a ball of thread, but also her father’s invincible sword; only with such a weapon could the monster be defeated. And when the lovers returned by sea back to Athens, King Minos begged the gods to return his daughter to him, and the beauty was kidnapped from the ship. In retaliation, Theseus was thrown into the sea by a white sail, which was supposed to be a sign of victory for the ruler of Athens. Seeing black on the horizon, he threw himself off the cliff in grief, and the hero Theseus was proclaimed king.

According to ancient Greek legends, the legendary king of the island of Crete Minos and his wife Pasiphae had a daughter, Ariadne, who saved the Athenian hero Theseus from death. Wanting to take revenge on the Athenians for the murder of their son Androgeus, Minos forced them to pay a terrible tribute: every year they sent seven young men and seven girls to Crete, who were given to be torn to pieces by the Minotaur - a terrible monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull. Boys and girls were imprisoned in the so-called labyrinth - a huge palace with countless rooms and such intricate passages that there was no way to get out of it.

Having learned about this, Theseus expressed a desire to go among the young men to the island of Crete to kill the Minotaur and save his people from the shameful tribute. Having met Theseus, Ariadne fell in love with him at first sight and, in order to save him from inevitable death in the labyrinth, she gave him a ball of thread. Having destroyed the monster, Theseus, with the help of a ball (Ariadne's thread), safely got out of the labyrinth.

Since then the expression Ariadne's thread began to be used in the sense of a guiding thread - a way to get out of a difficult, confusing situation. In the same sense, but somewhat paraphrased (Ariadne’s thread), it is still used today.