Poseidon was a Greek god. He ruled the seas. He showed his might in sea storms, tidal waves and the disappearance of ships at sea. When King Minos first took the throne on the island of Crete, he was challenged by his brothers over who had the right to rule. Minos prayed to Poseidon to give him a sign of approval. He asked for a white bull that he could then sacrifice to Poseidon in gratitude. In answer to his prayers, Poseidon sent him a white bull.
When Minos received his gift from Poseidon, he liked the beautiful, unusual, white bull so much that he decided to keep him rather than sacrifice him. Of course, this angered Poseidon, who called for a curse to even the score. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sexuality, stepped up with a plan to avenge the Cretan king's disloyalty. Aphrodite would use her powers over human love and lust to avenge King Minos' disloyalty to Poseidon.
Pasiphae was the daughter of Helios, the sun god. She was given in marriage to King Minos of Crete and had six children. Acting for Poseidon, Aphrodite cast a curse of lust on Pasiphae. She fell madly in lust with the Cretan bull, a mythological bull from the sea. She hired the architect Daedalus to build her a large, hollow, wooden bull suit so she could express her physical desire to the Cretan bull. After seducing the bull, she gave birth to her son Asterion, half bull, half man, all punishment on Minos.
King Minos consulted the Oracle at Delphi for advice. The Oracle, a mythological soothsayer, advised Minos to hire the same architect as his wife, Daedulus, to rectify the situation. Daedalus designed an elaborate labyrinth for the Minotaur to live in. Later, the human hero Theseus would step up to slay the Minotaur in his labyrinthine lair. Minos' daughter with Pasiphae, Ariadne, in love with Theseus, helped show him the way through the labyrinth so he could slay the monster.