The Minotaur

The Minotaur is another creature familiar to mythology: half-man, half-bull, given to bestial violence, it was defeated by Theseus.
What inspired the authors is probably less the monster itself than its habitat, an inextricable labyrinth that would have defeated the hero with much more certainty than the battle. Many adventures place their characters in a maze in which they have to test their intelligence and face their fears.