Icarus

Greek mythology · famous cautionary tale · ancient Greece

Son of Daedalus. Icarus was the son of Daedalus, a brilliant craftsman who built the famous labyrinth in Crete. His father was so clever that King Minos imprisoned both of them when he feared they might reveal the labyrinth's secrets.

Imprisoned in Crete. After the hero Theseus escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos blamed Icarus and Daedalus and locked them away. Different ancient stories say they were either trapped in a tall tower by the ocean or inside the labyrinth itself.

Wings of wax. To escape, Daedalus crafted wings made of feathers and wax for himself and his son. He warned Icarus not to fly too high where the sun would melt the wax, or too low where the sea spray would weigh the wings down.

Flying too high. Excited by the thrill of flight, Icarus ignored his father's warning and soared toward the sun. The heat melted his wax wings, and he tumbled down into the sea below, which is now called the Icarian Sea.

A timeless lesson. The story of Icarus has been told for thousands of years as a warning about being too proud or ignoring good advice. It teaches that sometimes the most important thing is to listen to people who care about you.