Myth Daedalus and Icarus read. Gods and Heroes: Daedalus and Icarus
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The greatest artist, sculptor and architect of Athens was Daedalus, a descendant of Erechtheus. It was said about him that he carved such marvelous statues from snow-white marble that they seemed alive; the statues of Daedalus seemed to be watching and moving. Many tools were invented by Daedalus for his work; he invented the ax and the drill. The fame of Daedalus went far...
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Once upon a time there lived the most skilled man of his time - a wonderful artist, builder, sculptor, stone carver, inventor. His name was Daedalus.
His paintings, statues, houses, palaces adorned Athens and other cities of Ancient Greece. He made amazing tools for various crafts. Daedalus had a nephew who already in his youth showed the makings of even more skilled craftsman. The young man could overshadow the glory of Daedalus, and he pushed the young rival off the cliff, for which he was expelled from Athens.
Minos kept Daedalus in Crete as a prisoner. And Daedalus was very homesick and decided to return. The king was sure that he would not allow Minos to leave the island by sea. And then Daedalus thought that the air was not subject to Minos and decided to subjugate the air.
Secretly from Minos, he made wings for himself and his son. When the wings were ready, Daedalus attached them behind his back and took to the air. He also taught Icarus to fly.
It was possible to take a long flight. But before embarking on a long journey, he instructed his son: once in the sky, Icarus should not fly too low, otherwise the wings will get wet in sea water, and he can fall into the waves, but he must not fly too high, as the rays of the sun can melt the wax that holds the wings together.
Daedalus flew ahead, followed by Icarus. The rapid flight seemed to intoxicate him. Icarus hovered in the air, enjoying freedom. He forgot about his father's order and rose higher and higher. Icarus got too close to the sun, and its hot rays melted the wax that held the wings together. The broken wings hung helplessly on the boy's shoulders, and he fell into the sea.
In vain did Daedalus call his son, no one answered. And the wings of Icarus swayed on the waves.
Later, people began to contrast the reckless courage of Icarus with cowardly and joyless prudence.
And here is what is said about these events in the poem of the ancient Roman poet Ovid "Metamlrfosa".
Retelling by Georg Stoll
A descendant of Erechtheus, Daedalus, the greatest artist of antiquity, became famous for his wonderful works. The rumor spread far and wide about the many beautiful temples and other buildings he built, about his statues, which were so alive that they spoke of them as if they were moving and seeing. The statues of the former artists looked like mummies: the legs were moved one to the other, the arms were tightly attached to the torso, the eyes were closed. Daedalus opened the eyes of his statues, gave them movement and untied their hands. The same artist invented many tools useful for his art, such as: an ax, a drill, a spirit level. Daedalus had a nephew and student Tal, who promised to surpass his uncle with his ingenuity and genius; as a boy, without the help of a teacher, he invented a saw, the idea of which led him to a fish bone; then he invented compasses, chisel, Potter's wheel and much more. With all this, he aroused hatred and envy in his uncle, and Daedalus killed his student, throwing him off the Athenian cliff of the acropolis. The case was announced, and in order to avoid execution, Daedalus had to flee from his homeland. He fled to the island of Crete, to the king of the city of Kloss Minos, who received him with open arms and entrusted him with many artwork. By the way, Daedalus built a huge building, with many winding and intricate passages, in which they kept the terrible Minotaur.
Although Minos was friendly with the artist, Daedalus soon noticed that the king looked at him as his prisoner and, wanting to get as much benefit from his art as possible, did not want to ever let him go home. As soon as Daedalus saw that they were watching him and guarding her, the bitter fate of the exile became even more painful for him, love for the motherland awakened in him with double strength; he decided to escape by any means.
“Let the water and dry paths be closed to me,” Daedalus thought, “the sky is in front of me, the air path is in my hands. Minos can take over everything, but not the sky. So Daedalus thought and began to think about a hitherto unknown subject. Skillfully he began to fit pen to pen, starting with the smallest; in the middle he tied them with threads, and at the bottom he blinded them with wax and gave the wings composed in this way a slight bend.
While Daedalus was busy with his work, his son Icarus stood by him and interfered with his work in every possible way. Now, laughing, he ran after the feathers flying in the air, then crushed the yellow wax with which the artist stuck the feathers one to another. Having made wings, Daedalus put them on himself and, waving them, rose into the air. He also worked a couple of small wings for his son Icarus and, handing them over, gave him the following instruction: “Keep in the middle, my son; if you go too low, the waves will wet your wings, and if you go too high, the sun will scorch them. Between the sun and the sea choose the middle path, follow me. And so he attached wings to his son's shoulders and taught him to rise above the earth.
Giving these instructions to Icarus, the elder could not refrain from tears; his hands were trembling. Touched, he embraced last time son, kissed him and flew, and the son followed him. Like a bird that has flown out of its nest for the first time with its cub, Daedalus looks timidly at his companion; encourages him, shows him how to wield wings. Soon they rose high above the sea, and at first everything went well. Many people marveled at these air swimmers. The fisherman, throwing his flexible fishing rod, the shepherd, leaning on his staff, the farmer - on the handle of the plow, looked at them and thought if these were the gods floating through the ether. Already behind them lay a wide sea, on the left were the islands: Samos, Patnos and Delos, on the right - Lebint and Kalymna. Encouraged by good luck, Icarus began to fly more boldly; left his guide and rose high to the sky to wash his chest in pure ether. But near the sun, the wax melted, blinding the wings, and they fell apart. The unfortunate youth in despair stretches out his hands to his father, but the air no longer holds him, and Icarus falls into the deep sea. In fright, he barely had time to shout out the name of his father, as the greedy waves already swallowed him up. The father, frightened by his desperate cry, looks around in vain, waits in vain for his son - his son lay down. “Icarus, Icarus,” he shouts, “where are you, where can I look for you?” But then he saw feathers carried by the waves, and everything became clear to him. In desperation, Daedalus descends to the nearest island and there, cursing his art, he wanders until the waves wash Icarus' corpse ashore. He buried the boy here, and since then the island has become known as Ikaria, and the sea that swallowed him up - Ikarian.
From Ikaria, Daedalus directed his path to the island of Sicily. There he was cordially received by King Kokal, and he performed many works of art for this king and for his daughters.
Minos found out where the artist settled, and with a large military fleet arrived in Sicily to claim the fugitive. But the daughters of Kokal, who loved Daedalus for his art, treacherously killed Minos: they prepared a warm bath for him and, while he was sitting in it, heated the water so that Minos would not come out of it. Daedalus died in Sicily or, according to the Athenians, in his homeland, in Athens, where the glorious family of Daedalides considers him to be their ancestor.
On Crete, Daedalus built, on behalf of Minos, a labyrinth for the monstrous Minotaur, born of a bull by Minos' wife Pasiphae. Ariadne, he arranged a platform for dancing. Daedalus helped Ariadne free Theseus from the labyrinth: find a way out with a ball of thread. Having learned about his complicity in the flight of Theseus and his companions, Minos concluded Daedalus, together with his son Icarus, in a labyrinth, from where Pasiphae freed them. Having made wings, Daedalus and his son flew away from the island. Icarus, having risen too high, fell into the sea, because the heat of the sun melted the wax. After mourning his son, Daedalus reached the Sicilian city of Kamik to King Kokal. Minos, pursuing Daedalus, arrived at the court of Kokal and decided to lure Daedalus out by cunning. He showed the king a shell into which it was necessary to thread a thread. Kokal asked D. to do this, he tied the thread to the ant, which, climbing inside, pulled the thread behind him into the spiral of the shell.
Minos guessed that Daedalus was at Kokal, and demanded that the master be handed over. Kokal promised to do so, but suggested that Minos take a bath; there he was killed by the daughters of Kokal, pouring boiling water over him. Daedalus spent the rest of his life in Sicily. The myth of Daedalus is characteristic of the period of late classical mythology, when heroes are put forward who assert themselves not by force and weapons, but by resourcefulness and skill.
Icarus, son of Daedalus in Greek mythology. Icarus died when he hoped to fly to the Sun on the wings that Daedalus made for him.
Even in ancient times, people dreamed of mastering the sky. The legend that the ancient Greeks created reflected this dream.
The greatest painter, sculptor and architect of Athens was Daedalus. He carved such marvelous statues from snow-white marble that they seemed to be alive. Daedalus invented many tools for his work, such as the drill and the axe.
Daedalus lived with King Minos, and Minos did not want his master to work for others. Daedalus thought for a long time how to escape from Crete, and finally came up with.
He picked up feathers. He fastened them with linen thread and wax to make wings out of them. Daedalus worked, and his son Icarus played near his father. Finally Daedalus finished the work. He tied the wings on his back, put his hands through the loops that were attached to the wings, waved them and smoothly rose into the air. Icarus looked in amazement at his father, who soared in the air like a bird.
And the body of Icarus for a long time rushed along the waves of the sea, which since then has become known as Ikarian.
Daedalus continued his flight and flew to Sicily.
Daedalus and Icarus
Fleeing from death, Daedalus fled to Crete to the mighty king Minos, the son of Zeus and Europe. Minos willingly took under his protection the great artist of Greece. Many marvelous works of art were made by Daedalus for the king of Crete. He also built for him the famous palace of the Labyrinth, with such intricate passages that once entering it, it was impossible to find a way out. In this palace, Minos imprisoned the son of his wife Pasiphae, the terrible Minotaur, a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull.
Daedalus descended to earth and said to his son: “Listen, Icarus, now we will fly away from Crete. Be careful while flying. Don't get too close to the sea so the salt spray can wet your wings. Do not rise too high, close to the sun, so that the heat does not melt the wax, then all the feathers will scatter. Follow me, keep up with me."
The father and son put on wings and easily took to the air. Daedalus often turned around to see how his son was flying. The fast flight amused Icarus, he flapped his wings more and more boldly. Icarus forgot his father's instructions. Strongly flapping his wings, he flew high, under the very sky, to get closer to the sun. The scorching rays of the sun melted the wax that held the feathers of the wings together, the feathers fell out and scattered far through the air, driven by the wind. Icarus waved his hands, but there are no wings on them. He fell from a terrible height into the sea and died in its waves.
Daedalus turned around, looking around. No Icarus. Loudly he began to call his son: “Icarus! Icarus! Where are you? Reply!" No answer. Daedalus saw feathers in the sea waves and understood what had happened. How he hated his art and the day when he planned to escape from Crete by air!
The death of Icarus
Before the flight, Daedalus explained to his son Icarus how to fly. He warned that if you get too close to the sea, the water will wet the feathers and make them heavier. On the other hand, if you fly too close to the sun, it will melt the wax and the wings will be destroyed.
Icarus listened to his father, but he was so carried away by the flight that, contrary to his father's instructions, he rose high into the sky, so high that the sun melted the wax, he fell into the sea and drowned.
Icarus fell near Samos. and his body was thrown onto a nearby island, which was named after him - Icaria and the sea around the island was named Icario Pelagos.
The instructive nature of the myth is obvious: the stupidity and frivolity of young people who ignore the advice and experience of their parents, and in general the elders, have irreversible consequences for their lives.
In everything you need to adhere to the cold middle. Not too high near the Sun and not too close to the sea, Daedalus advised, but Icarus disobeyed him and lost his life.
Sources: mifologija.dljavseh.ru, naexamen.ru, teremok.in, www.litrasoch.ru, www.grekomania.ru
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The myth of Daedalus and Icarus is an ancient Greek legend about father Daedalus and his son Icarus, who have become a symbol for all those who are intoxicated with success, and, as a result, underestimate the real state of affairs. The very expression "flight of Icarus" has become a symbol of risky daring. All of us, when we hear the name of Icarus, then before us there is an image of a person who boldly goes to success, regardless of everything, despite the risks, in his desire he rises above the ordinary life.
Daedalus and Icarus summary
ancient greek myth about Daedalus and Icarus takes us to ancient times and introduces us to the life of the Athenian architect, famous inventor, draftsman, sculptor Daedalus, as well as his son Icarus. These two images have become an example for most dreamers, and in order to get to know the myth better Ancient Greece about Daedalus and Icarus, we offer a summary.
So, the myth of Daedalus and Icarus in summary takes us to Athens, where Daedalus lived, who was known as a sculptor and architect. He made various sculptures, statues, built beautiful houses. In addition, he was also an inventor who came up with many tools that allowed him to create his own masterpieces. Together with Daedalus, his nephew Talos also worked, who was his student. Soon, Daedalus began to notice how his student was superior to the teacher, so he goes to kill, throwing Tal from the Acropolis. But he could not hide his crime, the Athenians condemned him, after which Daedalus fled to the island of Crete.
There he lives under the wing of King Minos, works for him and fulfills his wishes. So the famous labyrinth appeared to the world, in which the Minotaur lived. Daedalus helped Theseus, who had killed the Minotaur, get out of the Labyrinth by providing him with a ball of thread. For which he was put in prison with his son. It was in the dungeon that the idea came with the help of the created wings to fly away from the hands of King Minos. This is how the feathers were collected. Daedalus sealed them with wax. When the four wings were ready, Daedalus and Icarus leave the island.
The father warned his son about the possible danger, so it was necessary to stay away from the sea and the sun, only Icarus, the son of Daedalus, drunk on flight, forgot about all the warnings. He wanted to fly higher and higher until the scorching sun melted the wax. As a consequence, Icarus falls from a bird's eye view and crashes. The body of the son of Daedalus was found by Hercules, who buried the guy on a small island, which later received the name Ikaria, the sea itself was called Ikarian.
Daedalus, having mourned his son, reached Sicily, where he lived with King Kokal. When Minos became aware of the location of Daedalus, he began to demand that Kokal return the master, but Kokal did not want to lose such a craftsman. When King Kokal invited Minos to his place, his daughters poured boiling water on the guest, as a result of which Minos died a painful death. Daedalus himself lived for some time in Sicily, and then returned to Athens, where he became the founder of Athenian artists.
As you can see, the legend of Daedalus and Icarus, which appeared in ancient times, indicates that already at that time a person was striving to conquer the sky, probably for this reason, it was the invention of wings that became an outstanding event, which became above all his other works. But the myth of Daedalus and Icarus is also a collapsed dream, because the wings that allowed a person to fly like a bird caused a terrible tragedy. It was the only flight of father and son that ended tragically.
On this page you can read one of the myths of Ancient Greece - Daedalus and Icarus. Based on this myth, many works have been created. Here are 2 versions of the text - as presented by Vera Vasilievna Smirnova (1898 - 1977) - a Russian Soviet writer, and as presented by Nikolai Albertovich Kun (1877 - 1940) - a Russian historian, writer, teacher and author popular book"Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece" 1922. Choose the version of the presentation that interests you and familiarize yourself with its content.
The ancient Greek myth "Daedalus and Icarus" as presented by Smirnova V.V.
Excerpt from the book: Smirnova V. Daedalus and Icarus // Heroes of Hellas
Moscow "Children's Literature", 1971
In those distant times, when people still had no tools or machines, he lived in Athens great artist Daedalus. He was the first to teach the Greeks how to build beautiful buildings. Before him, artists could not depict people in motion and made statues that looked like swaddled dolls with their eyes closed. Daedalus began to carve magnificent statues from marble depicting people in motion.
For his work, Daedalus himself invented and made tools and taught people how to use them. He taught the builders of buildings how to check, with a stone on a string, whether they were laying walls correctly.
Daedalus had a nephew. He helped the artist in the workshop and studied the arts with him. Considering once the fins of a fish, he guessed to make a saw; came up with a compass to draw the right circle; He cut a circle out of wood, made it rotate and began to sculpt earthenware on it - pots, jugs and round bowls.
Once Daedalus and a young man climbed to the top of the Acropolis to look at the beauty of the city from a height. Thinking, the young man stepped on the very edge of the cliff, could not resist, fell down the mountain and crashed.
The Athenians blamed Daedalus for the death of the boy. Daedalus had to flee from Athens. By ship, he reached the island of Crete and appeared before the Cretan king Minos.
Minos was glad that fate had brought him the famous Athenian builder and artist. The king gave shelter to Daedalus and forced him to work for himself. Daedalus built a labyrinth for him, where there were so many rooms and passages so tangled that anyone who entered there could no longer find the way out himself.
Until now, the remains of this magnificent structure are shown on the island of Crete.
Daedalus lived for a long time with King Minos as a prisoner on a strange island in the middle of the sea. Often he sat on the seashore, looking away native land, remembered his beautiful city and yearned. Many years have passed, and, probably, no one remembers what he was accused of. But Daedalus knew that Minos would never let him go and no ship sailing from Crete would dare to take him with them for fear of persecution. And yet Daedalus constantly thought about returning.
Once, sitting by the sea, he raised his eyes to the wide sky and thought: “There is no way for me by the sea, but the sky is open for me. Who can stop me on the airway? Birds cut through the air with their wings and fly wherever they want. Is a man worse than a bird?
And he wanted to make himself wings in order to fly away from captivity. He began to collect the feathers of large birds, skillfully tied them with strong linen threads and fastened them with wax. Soon he made four wings - two for himself and two for his son Icarus, who lived with him in Crete. Wings were attached crosswise to the chest and to the arms with a bandage.
And then the day came when Daedalus tried his wings, put them on and, smoothly waving his arms, rose above the ground. The wings kept him in the air, and he directed his flight in the direction he wanted.
Going down, he put wings on his son and taught him to fly.
- Calmly and evenly wave your arms, do not descend too low to the waves so as not to wet your wings, and do not rise high so that the rays of the sun do not scorch you. Fly after me. That's what he said to Icarus.
Daedalus teaches Icarus to fly And early in the morning they flew away from the island of Crete.
Only the fishermen in the sea and the shepherds in the meadow saw how they flew away, but they also thought that these were winged gods flying over the earth. And now the rocky island was far behind, and the sea stretched wide under them.
The day flared up, the sun rose high, and its rays burned more and more.
Daedalus flew cautiously, keeping closer to the surface of the sea and timidly looking back at his son.
And Icarus liked free flight. He cut the air faster and faster with his wings, and he wanted to rise high, high, higher than the swallows, higher than the lark itself, which sings, looking straight into the face of the sun. And at that moment, when his father did not look at him, Icarus rose high up, to the very sun.
Under the hot rays, the wax that held the wings together melted, the feathers disintegrated and scattered around. In vain Icarus waved his arms, - nothing else kept him high. He fell rapidly, fell and disappeared into the depths of the sea.
Daedalus looked around - and did not see a flying son in the blue sky. He looked at the sea - only white feathers floated on the waves.
In despair, Daedalus landed on the first island he met, broke his wings and cursed his art, which killed his son.
But people remembered this first flight, and since then the dream of conquering the air, of spacious heavenly roads has lived in their souls.
The ancient Greek myth "Daedalus and Icarus" as presented by Kun N.A.
The myth is stated by N.A. Kuhn based on Ovid's Metamorphoses.
The greatest artist, sculptor and architect of Athens was Daedalus, a descendant of Erechtheus. It was said about him that he carved such marvelous statues from snow-white marble that they seemed alive; the statues of Daedalus seemed to be watching and moving.
Many tools were invented by Daedalus for his work; he invented the ax and the drill.
Ax and drill The glory of Daedalus went far. This great artist had a nephew Tal, the son of his sister Perdika. Tal was a student of his uncle. Already in his early youth, he amazed everyone with his talent and ingenuity. It could be foreseen that Tal would far surpass his teacher. Daedalus was jealous of his nephew and decided to kill him. Once Daedalus stood with his nephew on the high Athenian Acropolis at the very edge of the cliff.
No one was visible around. Seeing that they were alone, Daedalus pushed his nephew off the cliff. The artist was sure that his crime would go unpunished. Falling from a cliff, Tal crashed to death. Daedalus hastily descended from the Acropolis, raised the body of Tal and already wanted to secretly bury it in the ground, but the Athenians caught Daedalus when he was digging a grave. The crime of Daedalus was revealed. The Areopagus sentenced him to death.
Fleeing from death, Daedalus fled to Crete to the mighty king Minos, the son of Zeus and Europe.
Minos willingly took under his protection the great artist of Greece. Many marvelous works of art were made by Daedalus for the king of Crete. He also built for him the famous palace of the Labyrinth, with such intricate passages that once entering it, it was impossible to find a way out.
Knossos palace labyrinth In this palace, Minos imprisoned the son of his wife Pasiphae, the terrible Minotaur, a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull.
Daedalus lived with Minos for many years. The king from Crete did not want to let him go; only he wanted to use the art of the great artist. Like a prisoner, held Minos Daedalus in Crete. Daedalus thought for a long time how to escape him, and finally found a way to free himself from Cretan bondage.
“If I cannot,” Daedalus exclaimed, “be saved from the power of Minos either by land or by sea, then the sky is open for flight!” Here is my way! Minos owns everything, only he does not own the air!
Daedalus set to work. He collected feathers, fastened them with linen thread and wax, and began to make four large wings from them. While Daedalus worked, his son Icarus played near his father: either he caught fluff, which flew up from the breath of the breeze, or crumpled wax in his hands. The boy frolicked nonchalantly, he was amused by his father's work. Finally, Daedalus finished his work; the wings were ready.
Icarus - the work of Anna Khodyrevskaya Daedalus tied the wings behind his back, put his hands into the loops attached to the wings, waved them and smoothly rose into the air. Icarus looked in amazement at his father, who soared in the air like a huge bird. Daedalus descended to earth and said to his son:
— Listen, Icarus, now we will fly away from Crete. Be careful while flying. Do not go too low to the sea, so that the salt spray of the waves does not wet your wings. Do not rise even close to the sun: the heat can melt the wax, and feathers will scatter. Follow me, keep up with me.
The father and son put their wings on their hands and flew lightly. Those who saw them flying high above the earth thought that these were two gods rushing through the azure sky. Daedalus often turned around to see how his son was flying. They have already passed the islands of Delos, Paros, and are flying farther and farther.
A quick flight amuses Icarus, he flaps his wings more and more boldly. Icarus forgot his father's instructions; it doesn't follow him anymore. Strongly flapping his wings, he flew high under the very sky, closer to the radiant sun. The scorching rays melted the wax that fastened the feathers of the wings, the feathers fell out and scattered far through the air, driven by the wind. Icarus waved his hands, but there are no more wings on them. Headlong he fell from a terrible height into the sea and died in its waves.
Daedalus turned around, looking around. No Icarus. Loudly he began to call his son:
— Icarus! Icarus! Where are you? Respond!
No answer. Daedalus saw on the sea waves the feathers from the wings of Icarus and understood what had happened. How Daedalus hated his art, how he hated the day when he planned to escape from Crete by air!
And the body of Icarus rushed for a long time along the waves of the sea, which became known by the name of the deceased Ikarian. Finally, his waves washed up on the shore of the island; Hercules found him there and buried him.
Daedalus continued his flight and finally flew to Sicily.
There he settled with King Kokal. Minos found out where the artist had hidden, went with a large army to Sicily and demanded that Kokal give him Daedalus.
The daughters of Kokal did not want to lose such an artist as Daedalus. They came up with a trick. They persuaded the father to agree to the demands of Minos and accept him as a guest in the palace.
When Minos was taking a bath, the daughters of Kokal poured a cauldron of boiling water over his head; Minos died in terrible agony. Daedalus lived for a long time in Sicily. He spent the last years of his life at home, in Athens; there he became the ancestor of the Daedalides, a glorious family of Athenian artists.
1 Part of the Aegean Sea between the islands of Samos, Paros and the coast of Asia Minor.
