Ariadne is a figure from Greek mythology. The daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen, Pasiphae, Ariadne had a step brother who was half-man, half-bull and otherwise known as the Minotaur*. The Minotaur was really not a pleasant guy, and he embarrassed his step-dad to the point where King Minos commissioned a specially-built labyrinth to keep his bull-headed stepson in check.

For political reasons (to keep Crete from attacking them while they discussed philosophy in the agora), the good citizens of Athens were required to keep the Minotaur fed. Unfortunately, this required a sacrifice of seven youths and seven maidens sent off to Crete every nine years and let loose in the labyrinth until found and eaten by the Minotaur. In the second year, this group included the very heroic young Athenian Theseus.

Theseus was undoubtedly totally hot-those hero guys usually are, what with all the muscles and armour and perfect tans-and Ariadne fell in love with him on first sight. She made him promise to take her away from Crete if she could help him escape his fate as her stepbrother's lunch. He agreed, and she gave him a ball of yarn to unwind behind him as he made his way into the labyrinth.

Needless to say, the bold and beautiful Theseus found his way to the Minotaur, slew him handily (after a battle that left him sweaty, smudged with dirt along the cheekbones, and just wounded enough to require some TLC) and used Ariadne's yarn to find his way back out.

The happy couple escaped on a ship and sailed to the island of Dia or Naxos (depending on which source you read). There they lived in a state of unmarried happiness. There are two versions of how that worked out:

1. Theseus got bored and took off, fighting many mighty battles and eventually marrying Ariadne's sister, Phaedra. Ariadne was very sad and lonely on the island, but Dionysus (i.e. the god of wine) took a liking to her and married her. When she died, Dionysus placed the Crown of Ariadne (aka the Corona Borealis) in the sky as a monument to her fabulousness.

2. Dionysus, who was hanging out on the island, got a good look at Ariadne and fell in love with her. Being a god and all, he spirited her away and married her, eventually placing the Crown of Ariadne in the sky to remember her by. Theseus was bummed out, but not so bummed out that he couldn't go away to do mighty deeds and eventually marry Phaedra.

So Theseus doesn't necessarily come out so well, but Ariadne was a pretty cool chick, even if she didn't always pick a winner.

*(etymology buffs will note that this word is half "Minos" and half "Taurus" or bull)