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six notorious bandits were said to live. On his first day of travel, Theseus arrived at the Epidaurus entrance. At this entrance lived a violent bandit called Periphetes, who would use his club of iron to beat travellers into the earth. Theseus overcame Periphetes, and killed him. Theseus took his club and then used it as his own weapon. The second entrance was at Isthmian, where the robber Sinis lived. Sinis would capture passers-by, and then tie them between two pine trees. When the trees sprang apart they would rip the travellers in two. Theseus killed Sinis, in the same method, though he bent the pine trees without an artificial assistance, thus displaying his great strength. Theseus then raped Perigune, Sinis' daughter, causing her to give birth to his child, Melanippus.

Theseus continued his walk around to Crommyon. There he killed an enormous pig, the Crommyonian sow, also known as Phaea. Some variations state that the sow was a very old, ugly and fierce female bandit. The fourth entrance was near Megara. An elderly robber, Sciron, killed travellers by throwing them over a sea cliff as they knelt down to was his feet. Theseus threw Sciron over the same cliff.

At Eleusis, Theseus faced Cercyon. Cercyon would challenge any travellers who passed by to a wrestling match. When he had beaten them, he would then kill them. Again Theseus showed his natural strength, and killed Cercyon in a wrestling match. The sixth and final bandit that Theseus faced was Procrustes. Procrustes would offer travellers his bed; he would make each traveller fit into his bed either by stretching them, or by cutting off their feet. Theseus killed Procrustes in his own bed, though it is not clear whether he was stretched or had his feet cut off.

In all of Theseus' encounters, he dispatched the villains in the same manner as they had dispatched their victims.

His roadside adventures over, Theseus arrived in Athens, though he did not immediately disclose his identity. Medea, King Aegeus' new wife, recognised Theseus as a threat to her power. Aegeus himself was also suspicious of the intentions of the stranger in his court. As such Theseus was set a quest to capture the Marathonian Bull. The Marathonian Bull was a symbol of Cretan strength, and thus Theseus was not expected to be able to catch the beast.

Theseus, of course succeeds, in capturing the Bull and returns to Athens victorious. A huge celebratory banquet was held in his honour, where he sacrificed the Bull to Zeus or Apollo.

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