Theseus THE Pig + Helen of Troy

If you’re a fan of Greek history, you’re probably familiar with the story of Theseus and the minotaur.

But did you know that the word “academy” traces its roots all the way back to that story?

To be more specific, “academies” are named in honor of the man who saved Helen of Troy from having to become Theseus’ wife!

We think of Theseus as this great Greek hero, but if you’ve ever been in any of my history classes, you know he’s a disgusting pig. From abandoning Ariadne on an island to kidnapping Helen of Troy (from the temple where she was praying, no less)…he’s not a hero, folks.

Tune into episode 63 of the Vocabbett podcast for more on this fascinating story!

Below is the video accompaniment to the podcast. Enjoy!


P.S. The featured image is of Theseus and Paris (or at least that’s what the artist, Jacques-Louis David, intended to paint). I couldn’t find anything pretty of Helen and Theseus!