Icarus
Also known as: Ikarus · Icaros · Ikaros
- 1Son of the master craftsman Daedalus.
- 2Attempted to escape the Labyrinth by flying.
- 3Ignored his father's instructions regarding altitude.
- 4Fell into the sea and drowned.
- 5Often cited as a cautionary tale against hubris.
Icarus is a figure in Greek mythology who dies after his wax-and-feather wings melt during an attempted escape from Crete.
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The prison from which Icarus attempted to escape
The Labyrinth was the complex structure designed by Daedalus to contain the Minotaur, where he and Icarus were subsequently held captive.
The island location of Icarus's imprisonment
Crete serves as the setting for the myth, where Daedalus served King Minos and where the Labyrinth was constructed.
King of Crete and captor of Icarus
Minos imprisoned Daedalus and Icarus in the Labyrinth, which necessitated their desperate attempt to escape by air.
Icarus as an archetype of hubris.
The myth is frequently used as an example of hubris because Icarus ignored his father's warnings and flew too close to the sun.
Father and son relationship.
Daedalus is the father of Icarus and the creator of the wings that led to Icarus's fate.
Artistic depiction.
The painting depicts the final moments of the myth of Icarus.
The narrative source detailing the Icarus and Daedalus myth
This epic poem contains the classic narrative of the escape from Crete, describing the construction of the wings and the tragic outcome of the flight.
Primary literary source for the Icarus myth
The Roman poet Ovid provided the most detailed and influential account of the flight and fall of Icarus in his work 'Metamorphoses'.
The creature imprisoned within the Labyrinth
The Minotaur was the primary reason King Minos commissioned Daedalus to build the Labyrinth, setting the stage for Icarus's imprisonment and subsequent flight.
The geographical setting of the flight and fall
The flight of Daedalus and Icarus took place over the Aegean Sea as they attempted to escape from the island of Crete.
The material used to construct Icarus's wings
The melting of the beeswax used to hold the feathers of the wings together is the central mechanism of Icarus's fatal fall.
The body of water named after Icarus
According to myth, Icarus fell into this part of the Aegean Sea after his wax wings melted, leading to the sea being named in his honor.
Mother of the Minotaur and wife of King Minos
Pasiphae's actions led to the birth of the Minotaur, which necessitated the construction of the Labyrinth by Daedalus, the father of Icarus.
Icarus is a prominent figure in Greek mythology, recognized as the son of the master craftsman Daedalus. His story is inextricably linked to his father's architectural achievements, specifically the construction of the Labyrinth of Crete.
17th-century relief with a Cretan labyrinth bottom right ( Musée Antoine Vivenel )Wikimedia Commons: File:'The_Fall_of_Icarus',_17th_century,_Musée_Antoine_Vivenel.JPGJacob Peter Gowy 's The Fall of Icarus (1635–1637)Wikimedia Commons: File:Gowy-icaro-prado.jpgIcarus (right) with his father Daedalus on a Roman mosaic from Zeugma, now in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum.Wikimedia Commons: File:Gaziantep_Zeugma_Museum_Daedalus_mosaic_1873.jpg Following the escape of the Athenian hero Theseus from the Labyrinth, King Minos suspected that Icarus and his father had compromised the structure's secrets. Consequently, the two were imprisoned, either within the Labyrinth itself or in a high tower overlooking the sea, marking the beginning of their desperate attempt to flee the island.