Daedal

usandI
car
us

Daedaluswasahi ghlyrespectedandt alent

edAt henianarti
sandescendentf rom ther oyalf
ami l
y
ofCecrops, themy t
hical f
ir
stkingofAt hens. Hewask nownforhisskil
lasanar chi
tect,scul
pture,
andinventor, andhepr oducedmanyf amouswor ks.
Despitehissel
f-confi
dence, Daedalusonce
commi tt
edacr i
meofenv yagai nstTal us,hisnephewandappr enti
ce.Talus,whoseemed
desti
nedtobecomeasgr eatanar tisanashi suncleDaedalus,wasinspir
edonedayt oinventthe
sawaf t
erhav i
ngseent hewayasnak eusedi tsjaws.Daedalus,moment ari
lystrick
enwi t
h
j
ealousy,t
hr ewTal usof foftheAcr opolis.Forthiscri
me, Daedaluswasex il
edt oCreteandpl aced
i
ntheser vi
ceofKi ngMi nos,wher eheev entuall
yhadason, I
carus,wit
hthebeaut i
fulNaucrate,a
mistr
ess-slav eoftheKi ng.

Minoscal ledonDaedal ustobui l

dt hef amousLaby rint
hinordert oimpr isonthedr eaded
Minotaur .TheMi notaurwasamonst erwi t
ht heheadofabul landt hebodyofaman. Hewast he
sonofPasi phae,thewi f
eofMi nos, andabul l t
hatPosei donhadsentt oMi nosasagi ft
.Mi nos
wasshamedbyt hebirthoft hi
shor r i
blecreatureandr esol
vedt oimpr isont heMi not auri
nt he
Laby r
inthwher eitfedonhumans, whichwer et akenas" t
ri
bute"byMi nosandsacr if
icedt ot he
Minotauri nmemor yofhisf all
ensonAndr ogenos. Theseus,theher oi
cKi ngofAt hens,
volunteeredhi mselftobesentt otheMi notaurint hehopesofk i
ll
ingthebeastandendi ngt he
"humant r
ibute"thathiscit
ywasf or cedt opayMi nos. WhenTheseusar ri
vedt oCr ete,Ariadne,
Minos' sdaught er,
fell
inlovewi thhim andwi shedt ohelphim surv i
vet heMi notaur .Daedal us
revealedthemy steryoftheLaby r
intht oAriadnewhoi ntur
nadv isedTheseus, thusenabl inghi m
toslayt heMi notaurandescapef rom t heLaby rinth. WhenMi nosf oundoutwhatDaedal ushad
donehewassoenr agedt hathei mpr isonedDaedal us&Icarusint heLaby r
inththemsel ves.

Daedalusconcei vedt
oescapef rom theLaby ri
nthwi thIcar
usf r
om Cr etebyconst r
ucti
ngwi ngs
andthenfly
ingt osafety.Hebui l
tthewi ngsf r
om feat her
sandwax ,andbefor ethetwosetof fhe
warnedIcarusnott oflytoolowl esthiswi ngst oucht hewav esandgetwet ,andnottoohighl est
thesunmeltt hewax .Butt heyoungI carus, overwhelmedbyt hethri
lloffl
yi
ng, di
dnotheedhi s
fat
her'
swar ning,andflewt oocloset othesunwher eupont hewaxi nhiswingsmel t
edandhef el
l
i
ntothesea. Daedalusescapedt oSicil
yandI carus'bodywascar ri
edashor ebyt hecurr
enttoan
i
slandthenwi thoutaname. Heraclescameacr ossthebodyandr ecognizedi t
,givi
ngitbur
ial
wheretodayt heresti
l
l standsasmal lr
ockpr omontor yj
utt
ingoutintotheAegeanSea, and
namingtheislandandt heseaar oundi tafterthefallenIcarus.