King Minos was a mythical figure in Greek mythology, known as the ruler of Crete. The story goes that he refused to sacrifice a white bull to Poseidon, the god of the sea. As punishment, Poseidon made Minos's wife, Pasiphaë, fall in love with the bull, resulting in the birth of the Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull creature. To contain the Minotaur, Minos constructed the Labyrinth, a complex and winding maze. These events led to turmoil and challenges within Minos's kingdom, including the eventual downfall of the Minoan civilization.