Daedalus, the master craftsman of Athens, was a genius shadowed by jealousy. His young nephew, Perdix, invented the saw by studying a fish's spine and the compass from two iron limbs. Envious of the boy's talent, Daedalus threw him from the Acropolis. The Roman poet Ovid writes that the goddess Minerva intervened, transforming the falling boy into a partridge. Though Perdix was saved, Daedalus was not. The high court of Athens, the Areopagus, found him guilty of murder. To escape the sentence of death, he fled the city, beginning a long and storied exile. His flight led him to the island of Crete, where he entered the service of the powerful King Minos.
Icarus and Daedalus
The classic myth of the inventor Daedalus, who built wings of feathers and wax, leading to the tragic flight and fall of his son Icarus.
Summary
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was the master craftsman who built the Labyrinth for King Minos of Crete. Imprisoned on the island, he made wings of feathers and wax for himself and his son Icarus, warning the boy to fly neither too low over the sea nor too high near the sun. Icarus soared too high, the wax melted, and he fell into the sea that took his name — the Icarian Sea, near the island of Icaria. The fullest ancient telling is in Book VIII of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Chapter 1
The Fallen Craftsman
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Part of
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Daedalus and Icarus imprisoned by King Minos?
King Minos imprisoned them after Daedalus betrayed him. The inventor had designed the Labyrinth for the king, but later helped the hero Theseus escape it by giving a ball of thread to Princess Ariadne.
What were the wings made of?
Daedalus constructed the wings using materials he could find. He arranged bird feathers in rows, bound them in the middle with linen thread, and secured their bases with beeswax.
What happened to Daedalus after Icarus's death?
Daedalus flew to Sicily and was protected by King Cocalus. When King Minos pursued him, Minos was killed by Cocalus's daughters. Daedalus spent his remaining years in Sicily, building great works but forever grieving his son.
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