In Greek mythology, Ariadne (/ˌæriˈædni/ ^ⓘ; Ancient Greek: Ἀριάδνη; Latin: Ariadne) was a Cretan princess, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. There are variations of Ariadne's myth, but she is known for helping Theseus escape from the Minotaur and being abandoned by him (or herself dying) on the island of Naxos. There, Dionysus saw Ariadne sleeping, fell in love with her, and later married her. Many versions of the myth recount Dionysus throwing Ariadne's jeweled crown into the sky to create a constellation, the Corona Borealis.

Ariadne is associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of Theseus and the Minotaur.

There were also festivals held in Cyprus and Naxos in Ariadne's honor.

Greek lexicographers in the Hellenistic period claimed that Ariadne is derived from the ancient Cretan dialectical elements ari (ἀρι-) "most" (which is an intensive prefix) and adnós (ἀδνός) "holy". Conversely, Stylianos Alexiou has argued that despite the belief being that Ariadne's name is of Indo-European origin, it is actually pre-Greek.

Linguist Robert S. P. Beekes has also supported Ariadne having a pre-Greek origin; specifically being Minoan from Crete because her name includes the sequence dn (δν), rare in Indo-European languages and an indication that it is a Minoan loanword.

Ariadne was the daughter of Minos, the King of Crete and son of Zeus and Europa, and of Pasiphaë, Minos's queen and daughter of Helios and Perse. Others denominated her mother Crete, daughter of Asterius, the king of Crete and husband of Europa.

Ariadne was the sister of Acacallis, Androgeus, Deucalion, Phaedra, Glaucus, Xenodice, and Catreus. Through her mother, Pasiphaë, she was also the half-sister of the Minotaur (who was known in Crete as Asterion).

Ariadne married Dionysus and became the mother of Oenopion, the personification of wine, Staphylus, who was associated with grapes, as well as Thoas, Peparethus, Eurymedon, Phliasus, Ceramus, Maron, Euanthes, Latramys, and Tauropolis.