What makes Theseus a heroic character?

The Greek heroes all conform to a fairly narrowwhich we find in Homer. They are
categorized to such an extent that we can rank the heroes of the Iliad and,
to a lesser extent, the Odyssey according to how closely they conform to
this archetype. Non-Homeric heroes in Greek mythology, such as Theseus, are also subject to its
constraints.

The hero should be of royal birth and preferably with at least
one divine parent. He should be strong, handsome and virile. He should be aware of his status,
acknowledging his equals or near-equals, not condescending too much to his inferiors. Above all,
he should perform great deeds, which bring glory and renown to his name. In all these
categories, Theseus obviously qualifies as a hero.

It is not necessarily
required of the hero that he behave in a moral or reasonable manner. Achilles, the greatest of
the Homeric heroes, is unreasonable when he refuses the gifts of Agamemnon, and Theseus seems
immoral, unreasonable and profoundly ungrateful when he...