1

LESSON 9
BOOK VIII: DAEDALUS AND ICARUS
( Ovid -Metamorphoses)
This story from the Metamorphoses, is not only about parent-child relations: this is the famous
story of Daedalus and his son Icarus, who flies too close to the sun but also about the power of
invention and the pursuit of freedom.
When Minos landed on the coast of Crete,
He bled a hundred bulls to mighty Jove,
And decked his palace with the spoils of war.
And yet strange gossip tainted all his honours:
Proof that his wife was mounted by a bull
Was clear enough to all who saw her son,
Half-beast, half-man, a sulky heavy creature.
To hide this symbol of his wifes mismating
He planned to house the creature in a maze,
An arbour with blind walls beyond the palace;
He turned to Daedalus, an architect,
Who was well known for artful craft and wit,
To make a labyrinth that tricked the eye.
Quite as Meander flows through Phrygian pastures,
Twisting in streams to sea or fountainhead,
The dubious waters turning left or right,
So Daedalus designed his winding maze;
And as one entered it, only a wary mind
Could find an exit to the world again --Such was the cleverness of that strange arbour.
****
Weary of exile, hating Crete, his prison,
Old Daedalus grew homesick for his country
Far out of sight beyond his walls --- the sea.

Though Minos owns this island, rules the waves,

The skies are open: my directions clear.
Though he commands all else on earth below
His Tyranny does not control the air.
So Daedalus turned his mind to subtle craft,
An unknown art that seemed to outwit nature:
He placed a row of feathers in neat orders,
Each longer than the one that came before it
Until the feathers traced an inclined plane
That cast a shadow like the ancient pipes
That shepherds played, each reed another step
Unequal to the next. With cord and wax
He fixed them smartly at one end and middle,
Then curved them till they looked like eagles' wings.
And as he worked , boy Icarus stood near him.
His brilliant face lit up by his fathers skill.
He played at snatching feathers from the air
And sealing them with wax (nor did he know
How close to danger came his lightest touch):
And as the artist made his miracles
The artless boy was often in his way.
At last the wings were done and Daedalus
Slipped them across his shoulders for a test
And flapped them cautiously to keep his balance,
And for a moment glided into air.
He taught his son the trick and said, Remember
To fly midway, for if you dip too low
The waves will weight your wings with thick saltwater,

And if you fly too high the flames of heaven

Will burn them from your sides. Then take your flight
Between the two. Your route is not toward Botes
Nor Helice, nor where Orion swings
His naked sword. Steer where I lead the way.
With this he gave instructions how to fly
And made a pair of wings to fit the boy.
Though his swift fingers were as deft as ever,
The old mans face was wet with tears; he chattered
More fatherly advice on how to fly.
He kissed his son --- and, as the future showed,
This was a last farewell --- then he took off.
And as a bird who drifts down from her nest
Instructs her young to follow her in flight,
So Daedalus flapped wings to guide his son.
Far off, below them some stray fisherman,
Attention startled from his bending rod,
Or a bland shepherd resting on his crook,
Or a dazed farmer leaning on his plough
Glanced up to see the pair float through the sky,
And taking them for gods, stood still in wonder.
They flew past Junos Samos on the left
And over Delos and the isle of Paros,
And on the right lay Lebinthus, Calymne,
A place made famous for its wealth in honey.
By this time Icarus began to feel the joy
Of beating wings in air and steered his course
Beyond his fathers lead: all the wide sky
Was there to tempt him as he steered toward heaven.

Meanwhile the heat of sun struck at his back

And where his wings were joined, sweet-smelling fluid
Ran hot that once was wax. His naked arms
Whirled into wind; his lips, still calling out
His fathers name, were gulfed in the dark sea.
And the unlucky man, no longer father,
Cried, Icarus, where are you, Icarus,
Where are you hiding, Icarus, from me?
Then as he called again, his eyes discovered
The boys torn wings washed on the climbing waves.
He damned his art, his wretched cleverness,
Rescued the body and placed it in a tomb,
And where it lies the lands called Icarus.
Guide Questions
1. What incident brought Daedalus to Crete? Can you consider this as the tragic flaw of
Daedalus?
2. Who is the Minatour? Theseus?
3. What conflict arose between Daedalus and King Minos?
4. Explain the irony embodied by the Labyrinth
5. What invention did Daedalus create in order for him and his son Icarus to escape?
6. What warning did Daedalus tell Icarus?
7. Why do you think Icarus disobeyed his father?
8. How important is the description given to Daedalus at the opening statement of the
excerpt? Elaborate your answer.
9. How does Daedalus succeed as an artist? How does he fail?
Enrichment Essay
1. Daedalus is a talented Greek inventor, craftsman, and architect. He uses his inventive
powers both to constraints as in the Labyrinth, and for freedom as in the wings to
escape. Using this premise, write a one-page essay on how you see yourself as

Daedalus to save the Philippines and the world from the many constraints of
science and technology.
Reflection Essays
1. The didactic character of the myth of Icarus is obvious: the recklessness and
thoughtlessness of young men who ignore the advice and experience of their parents,
and their elders and betters in general, may have catastrophic effects on their lives.
Discuss this theme in relation to parent-children relationship.
2. Another interpretation of the myth, flight could symbolize the great speed of a sailing
ship, also considered an invention of Daedalus. Reflect on the speed of invention, science
and technology to humanity. Be able to explain their advantages and disadvantages to
humanity in general.
.
Sources
A.S.Kline, translator. Ovid's Metamorphoses (2000)
Brown, A. Ovids Metamorphoses.http://larryavisbrown.homestead.com/files/xeno.ovid1.htm
Daedalus and Icarus by Canova Antonio, Museo Correr, Venice
Hamilton, Edith Hamilton. 1942. Mythology.
Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths. Chicago: Laurel Leaf, 1984.
Lenardon, Robert and Moford, Mark P. 2006. Classical Mythology. New York: Oxford
University Press
Martin, Richard P.2003. Myths of the Ancient Greeks. New York: NAL Trade
Metamorphoses from BookRags Book Notes. 2000-2009 by BookRags, Inc.
Powell, Barry. 2006.Classical Myth: Fifth Edition. New York: Prentice Hall
SparkNotes Editors. 2007. SparkNote on Metamorphoses. Retrieved January 6, 2014, from
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/metamorphoses/
Stephen Haskell, author of ClassicNote. Completed on January 19, 2008, copyright held by
GradeSaver.
Stewart, Andrew. One Hundred Greek Sculptors: Their Careers and Extant Works
Story of Daedalus and Icarus, World Masterpieces. Prentice Hall: Englewood Cliffs NJ, 1991
thanasis.com/icarus.htm
Thomas Bulfinch's Mythology