seanIn Greek mythology there was a hero named Theseus, renowned for various acts of heroism both dramatic and pedestrian, but most famous for slaying the Minotaur at the center of the labyrinth at Minos.  Upon his triumphant return voyage to Athens, his ship was moored in the Athenian harbor as a national treasure.  However, rather than being permanently moored and allowed to decay (like many other historical sites) the ship was kept in a seaworthy state so that it could be used to ferry city officials to various festivals on neighboring islands.  Over the centuries, this meant that new ship pieces and hull patches were applied to the wooden ship as parts of it slowly rotted away… with the end result that, one day, every single plank of the ship had been replaced.  In the minds of the Athenians (and a vast multitude of philosophers since) this raised a most intriguing question: since every last part of the Ship of Theseus has now been replaced, is the boat moored in the harbor of Athens actually the Ship of Theseus?  Are the ship of legend and the ship today “the same” ship?

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