MINOS A son of Zeus, Minos ruled over Crete with exemplary justice, but ran afoul of Poseidon when, asking for a sacrifice, he was presented with a shimmering white bull that rose out of the sea. Instead of sacrificing the bull though, Minos set it to graze with his own herds, which were close by the pasture of the herd owned by Helios. Enraged at this deceit, Poseidon made the bull wild, and awoke within Queen Pasiphae an unnatural desire for it, she pursuing it until she finally caught it, and gave birth to the Minotaur.