Theseus solved the problem of not changing the sail on his ship by instructing his crew to change the sail from black to white upon their safe return from Crete. He believed that this visual signal would inform his father, Aegeus, that he had survived and defeated the Minotaur. However, in a tragic turn of events, Theseus forgot to change the sail, leading Aegeus to mistakenly believe his son had died, resulting in Aegeus's despair and subsequent death.
If he returned alive, to raise a white sail, but if he had failed in his mission and died, to raise a black sail.
He saw the black sail and thought that Theseus was dead. he through himself off a rocky height into the sea and died.
He was either supposed to raise a white sail or flag.
Theseus's father, King Aegeus of Athens, was believed to have died by suicide after mistakenly thinking that Theseus had been killed. Aegeus had instructed Theseus to raise a white sail upon his return if he was victorious against the Minotaur, but when he saw a black sail instead, he assumed the worst and threw himself into the sea. This act gave the sea its name, the Aegean Sea, in his memory.
He was to sail with white sails
Theseus inadvertently causes his father's death by neglecting to change the color of the sail on his ship upon returning to Athens. After defeating the Minotaur in Crete, he promised to raise a white sail if he was successful. However, in his excitement, he forgets to change the black sail to white, leading King Aegeus to believe that his son has died. Overcome with grief, Aegeus throws himself into the sea, leading to his tragic demise.
In Greek mythology, the black sails on Theseus' ship indicated that he had failed to defeat the Minotaur and was returning home without success. According to the myth, Aegeus, Theseus' father, had instructed him to change the ship's sails to white if he was victorious. The sight of the black sails led Aegeus to believe his son was dead, leading him to despair and ultimately to his own demise.
Typpically the term is used for reefing a sail, but can refer to changing to a smaller sail. Reefing is accomplished by lowering the sail down the mast or stay via halyard, and reefing or making up the foot of the sail with ties so it remains aerodynamic and isn't messy.
Aegeus killed himself because he thought he lost his son, Theseus. Theseus traveled to Crete to defeat the Minotaur and told his father that if he returned victorious he would have a white sail. However Ariadne cursed Theseus and the gods caused Theseus to forget to raise his white sail. Aegeus saw a ship with a black sail and thinking that his son was dead he threw himself off a cliff.
Clew is originally a ball of yarn, and the lower part of a sail. The meaning "clue" ( itself a variant spelling of clew) comes from the tale of Theseus and the Minotaur. Ariadne gives Theseus a clew of yarn with which he is able to mark his way in, and so to find his way out, of the Labyrinth. "I don't have a clue" means "I don't know how to get out of this maze."
Theseus was an Athenian hero, the son of the king Aegeus and Aethra. He is famous for defeating the Minotaur. In Crete, the princess Ariadne had given him a ball of string to get through the Labyrinth. Afterward, he had abandoned Ariadne on Naxos, where she eventually married Dionysus.
Once there was a young boy named Theseus. Nobody knew who his father was, for both King Aegeus of Athens and Poseidon had been fond of his mother Aethra. Right before Theseus was born Aegeus said to Aethra, "If we shall have a son, when he is old enough tell him to lift this rock and take my sword and sandals from under it." Then Aegeus placed both his sword and his sandals under a large boulder and then set sail for Athens. Now this all happened in a small town called Troezen where Theseus grew into a strong young man. When Aethra thought it was time she took Theseus to the large boulder and told him to lift it. Theseus wrapped his mighty arms around the boulder lifted it as if it were paper. Then he threw the boulder into a nearby forest. Aethra then told him to take the sword and sandals and go to Athens.