A brilliant craftsman and designer, Daedalus designed the intricate Labyrinth that held the Minotaur.
After Theseus killed the Minotaur, King Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son, Icarus, because he suspected that Daedalus had revealed the secret of the Labyrinth to Ariadne.
To escape, Daedalus fashioned two sets of wings out of wax and feathers.
Just before soaring into the air, Daedalus sternly warned his son to avoid flying too close to the sun.
But as the two men flew, Icarus felt overjoyed by flight.
He climbed higher and higher, until the sun’s heat melted the wax that held the feathers together.
His wings fell apart and Icarus plunged to his death.
Daedalus flew on with a heavy heart and arrived safely on the island of Sicily.
After ignoring his father’s warning to fly low and away from the sun, Icarus plunges to his death while his father looks on helplessly.
Italian artist Carlo Saraceni (1585-1620) painted a striking version of the well known myth.
