Daedalus and Icarus in ancient times. Daedalus and Icarus. And here is what is said about these events in the poem of the ancient Roman poet Ovid "Metamlrphozy"

A long time ago, a remarkable sculptor, painter, builder and inventor lived in the Greek city of Athens. His name was Daedalus. Let's talk about the legend of Daedalus and Icarus.

It was a jack of all trades. Daedalus painted walls with amazing paintings, sculpted statues, built houses and palaces, made tools for various crafts.

The statues and works of Daedalus looked like they were alive, and therefore people tied them to prevent them from escaping; the horses whinnied in front of his paintings, as if they recognized their living brothers on them; people gave him almost divine honors.

However, for all his genius, he was not devoid of human weaknesses. So, when the great master realized that his nephew Taloye was even more gifted, he killed him out of envy, throwing him off a cliff.

Fleeing from the death sentence, he decided to flee his hometown. After a while, he, together with his son Icarus, reached the island of Crete. Here the master again took up his crafts. Once again, people believed 'in the boundless power of his art.

The king of Crete Minos decided not to let go of Daedalus. He wiped him off like a prisoner. He longed for his homeland and dreamed of returning. Working at night, he made two pairs of large bird wings - for himself and his son.

On the day when the wings were ready, he lifted himself into the air with their help. He taught his son to fly as well. But before embarking on a long journey, he instructed his son: once in the sky, Icarus should not approach the Sun, otherwise the hot rays will melt the wax that holds the wings together.

And here they are in the sky. Smoothly cutting through the air with amazing wings, they flew forward to their beloved homeland. Daedalus flew in front, followed by his son. Soon, the fast flight seemed to intoxicate the young man.

Like an outlandish bird, the sonny hovered in the air, enjoying freedom. He wanted to rise higher, even higher.

In some kind of joyful impulse, he shot up towards the Sun - and at the same moment, scorched by its hot rays, fell down into the dark waters of the stormy sea.

The island of Ikaria can be found on the map of modern Greece. It got its name in memory of this great inventor. People remembered the story of the young madman, not really trying to find out whether it was reliable or not. Here is such a small legend and story about Daedalus and Icarus.

Flight of Icarus

1. This is not only the dream of a person to ascend to heaven, but also the opposition of the dream of dull prudence, reconciliation with bondage, external well-being.
2. 500 years ago, the first sketches of flying machines appeared in the writings of Leonardo da Vinci.
3. 250 years ago, the Russian scientist Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov was engaged in drawings and construction of flying machines.
4. 200 years ago, the balloon of the Montgolfier brothers, rising into the sky, fulfilled the cherished dream of mankind - to fly like a bird.
5. 150 years ago, the first controlled airships appeared in the sky.
6. 100 years ago, the English Channel was crossed by air; the flight was made over the Alps; flight speed reached 200 km per hour; flight altitude - 2,000 m.
7. Regular civil aviation lines opened 80 years ago.
8. 55 years ago, Chkalov flew over the North Pole.
9. Jet aircraft was born 50 years ago.
10. 35 years ago, the TU-104 opened the era of passenger jet aircraft.

Based on Ovid's poem "Metamorphoses"

The greatest painter, sculptor and architect of Athens was Daedalus, a descendant of Erechtheus. It was said that he carved such marvelous statues from snow-white marble that they seemed alive; the statues of Daedalus seemed to be watching and moving. Daedalus invented many tools for his work; he invented the ax and the drill. The glory of Daedalus went far.

This 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. One could have 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. There was no one around. Seeing that they were alone, Daedalus pushed his nephew off a 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, lifted Tal's body and wanted to secretly bury it in the ground, but the Athenians found Daedalus when he was digging a grave. Daedalus's atrocity was revealed. The Areopagus sentenced him to death.

Fleeing from death, Daedalus fled to Crete to the powerful king Minos, the son of Zeus and Europe. Minos willingly took him under his protection. Daedalus made many wonderful works of art for the king of Crete. He also built for him the famous Labyrinth palace, 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 Pasiphai, 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 did not want to let him go from Crete; only one wanted to use the art of the great artist. Like a prisoner, Minos held Daedalus in Crete. Daedalus thought for a long time how to escape to him, and finally found a way to free himself from the Cretan bondage.

- If I cannot, - exclaimed Daedalus, - to escape from the power of Minos neither by dry way, nor by sea, then the sky is open for flight! This is my way! Minos owns everything, only he does not own air!

Daedalus got down to work. He collected feathers, fastened them with linen thread and wax, and began to make four large wings out of them. While Daedalus worked, his son Icarus played near his father: he caught fluff, which flew up from the breeze, then he crumpled wax in his hands. Finally Daedalus finished his work: the wings were ready. Daedalus tied his wings behind his back, put his hands in loops, fixed on the wings, waved them and smoothly rose into the air. Icarus looked in amazement at his father, who floated in the air like a huge bird. Daedalus came down to earth and said to his son:

- Listen, Icarus, now we are leaving Crete. Be careful while flying. Do not go too low to the sea, so that the salty spray of the waves does not wet your wings. Do not go up close to the sun: the heat can melt the wax, and feathers scatter. Fly after me, keep up with me.

Father and son put their wings on their hands and easily took off into the air. Those who saw them flying high above the earth thought that these were two gods rushing across the azure of heaven. Daedalus often turned around to watch his son fly. They have already passed the islands of Delos, Paros and are flying farther and farther.

Fast flight amuses Icarus, he flaps his wings more and more boldly. Icarus forgot his father's instructions; he is not already following him. Strongly flapping his wings, Icarus flew high into the sky, closer to the radiant sun. The scorching rays melted the wax that held the feathers together, they fell out and scattered far through the air, driven by the wind. Icarus waved his hands, but there are no more wings on them. He fell headlong from a terrible height into the sea and died in its waves.

Daedalus turned around, looks around. No Icarus. Loudly he began to call his son:

- Icarus! Icarus! Where are you? Please respond!

No answer. Daedalus saw feathers from the wings of Icarus on the waves of the sea and realized 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 was worn for a long time along the waves of the sea, which began to be called after the deceased Icarus. Finally the waves nailed the body of Icarus to the shore of the island; there Hercules found him and buried him. Daedalus continued his flight and finally flew to Sicily. There he settled with King Kokala. Minos found out where the artist had disappeared, went with a large army to Sicily and demanded that Cocalus give him Daedalus.

Kokala's daughters did not want to lose an artist like Daedalus. They persuaded his father to agree to Minos's demands 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.

The dream of flying originated in man in ancient times. The desire to fly like a bird is reflected in ancient legends and myths. Over time, there were attempts to implement this plan. The way to it, it seemed, was obvious - one should make large wings from twigs and linen or feathers and, imitating the movements of birds, rise into the air. But in reality, everything turned out to be not so simple. The experimenters could not fly on such "wings" and often paid for their courage with their lives.

Legend of Icarus.

The greatest painter, sculptor and architect of Athens was Daedalus, a descendant of Erhetey. It was said that he carved such marvelous statues from snow-white marble that they seemed alive; the statues of Daedalus seemed to be watching and moving. Daedalus invented many tools for his work, he invented an ax and a drill. The glory of Daedalus went far.
This artist had a nephew, Tal, the son of his sister Perdiki. Tal was a student of his uncle. Already in his early youth, he amazed everyone with his talent and ingenuity. One could have 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. There was no one around. Seeing that they were alone, Daedalus pushed his nephew off a cliff. The artist was sure that his crime would go unpunished. Falling from a cliff, Tal crashed to death. Daedalus hurriedly descended from the Acropolis, lifted Tal's body and wanted to secretly bury it in the ground, but the Athenians found Daedalus when he was digging a grave. Daedalus's atrocity was revealed. The Areopagus sentenced him to death.
Fleeing from death, Daedalus fled to Crete to the powerful king Minos, the son of Zeus and Europe. Minos willingly took him under his protection. Daedalus made many wonderful works of art for the king of Crete. He also built for him the famous Labyrinth palace 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 Pasiphai, 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 did not want to let him go from Crete, only one wanted to use the art of the great artist. As if a prisoner was held by Minos Daedalus in Crete. Daedalus thought for a long time how to escape to him, and finally found a way to free himself from the Cretan bondage. “If I cannot,” exclaimed Daedalus, “to escape from the power of Minos either by dry route or by sea, then the sky is open for flight! This is my way! Minos owns everything, only he does not own air! "
Daedalus got down to work. He collected feathers, fastened them with linen thread and wax, and began to make four large wings out of them. While Daedalus worked, his son Icarus played near his father: he caught fluff, which flew up from the breeze, then he crumpled wax in his hands. Finally Daedalus finished his work: the wings were ready. Daedalus tied the wings on his back, put his hands in loops attached to the wings, flapped them and smoothly rose into the air. Icarus looked in amazement at his father, who floated in the air like a huge bird. Daedalus came down to earth and said to his son:
- Listen, Icarus, now we are leaving Crete. Be careful while flying. Do not go too low to the sea, so that the salty spray of the waves does not wet your wings. Do not go up close to the sun: the heat can melt the wax, and feathers scatter. Fly after me, keep up with me.
Father and son put their wings on their hands and easily took off into the air. Those who saw them flying high above the earth thought that these were two gods rushing across the azure of heaven. Daedalus often turned around to watch his son fly. They have already passed the islands of Delos, Paros and are flying farther and farther.
Fast flight amuses Icarus, he flaps his wings more and more boldly. Icarus has forgotten the instructions of his father, he does not fly after him. Strongly flapping his wings, Icarus flew high into the sky, closer to the radiant sun. The scorching rays melted the wax that held the feathers together, they fell out and scattered far through the air, driven by the wind. Icarus waved his hands, but there are no more wings on them. He fell headlong 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? Please respond!
No answer. Daedalus saw feathers from the wings of Icarus on the waves of the sea and realized 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 was worn for a long time along the waves of the sea, which began to be called after the deceased Icarus. Finally, the waves nailed the body of Icarus to the coast of the island, where Hercules found him and buried him. Daedalus continued his flight and finally flew to Sicily. There he settled with King Kokala. Minos found out where the artist had disappeared, went with a large army to Sicily and demanded that Cocalus give him Daedalus.
Kokala's daughters did not want to lose an artist like Daedalus. They persuaded his father to agree to Minos's demands 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 in Sicily for a long time. The last years of his life he spent at home, in Athens; there he became the ancestor of the Daedalids, a glorious family of Athenian artists.

Daedalus and Icarus, judging by the legends of the Hellenes, were real people, and kept their names in history, thanks to their, unusual for that time, decisions. The myth of the father-inventor and the daredevil-son, centuries later, became a kind of warning for those who do not know how to realistically assess their strengths. But along with this - and the image of a dream.

Who are Icarus and Daedalus?

As the ancient legends of the Greeks tell, Daedalus and Icarus lived in the heyday of the country of the Hellenes, when people tried to design unusual inventions for mankind. The son of Metcius, the Athenian Daedalus was considered one of the best inventors and builders. He was the first in history to risk creating wings to rise into the sky, and the master succeeded. But he paid for his courage with the life of his only son. Daedalus and Icarus are symbols:

• inventive talent and intelligence;
• reckless courage;
• the desire to rise above people, the conquest of the sky.

Who is Daedalus?

Daedalus went down in the history of Greece as a talented artist and designer, the creator of many instruments, the author of sculptures, which were said to be able to move:

• the chair of Pallas Athena;
• statues of Hercules in Corinth and Thebes;
• statues of Trophonius and Britomartis;
• statues of Athena on Delos.

His name was born from the Greek word "Daedalo" - to make art. What did Daedalus invent? The most famous masterpieces:

1. Minoan Labyrinth.
2. Ariadne's thread.
3. Pasithea cow made of wood.
4. Ariadne's dance hall.
5. Wax wings for flight.

Who is Icarus?

Who is Icarus in Ancient Greece? This boy became famous as the first and, at that time, the only person who dared to rise to the sun. The teenager was the son of the inventor Daedalus, who helped his father construct wings from feathers and wax. Rising into the sky, Icarus disobeyed his father and decided to fly much higher, towards the sun. It melted the wax and the boy crashed into the water. It happened not far from the island of Samos, where the sea was called Ikarian. The daredevil was buried by the hero Hercules on the island of Dolikha, called Ikaria.

The myth of Daedalus and Icarus

The myth about Daedalus and Icarus tells: the daredevils decided to fly on wings of wax not for fun, but for escape. The talented designer decided to flee from the island of Crete, where he was in the service of King Minos. Daedalus could not use the ship, and chose flight through the air, creating wings from feathers and wax. The little son asked to take him with him, promising to obey in everything. But when they rose into the sky, the boy wanted to fly closer to the sun, ignoring his father's warnings. Under the rays, the wax melted, the wings disintegrated, and the teenager crashed against the waves.

There is a version that in the story of these daredevils the Greeks tried to preserve information about the invented oblique sails. Allegedly, Daedalus and Icarus fled from Crete on a ship with such sails, which were used not only with a tailwind, like all sailors, but also with a side wind, and even a headwind. Such a decision was considered the ultimate dream of sea travelers of that time. And Icarus died not in the air, but in the water, falling overboard while sailing.

What does the "Daedalus and Icarus" myth teach?

The legend of Daedalus and Icarus has been analyzed by researchers and even psychologists. There is even a special interpretation of the symbols mentioned in this legend:

1. Daedalus is the personification of God the Father; whom they dared to disobey;
2. The sun that destroyed the boy is a growing force;
3. Wings are a gift that raises above ordinary mortals;
4. The fall is the payment for disobedience and at the same time - the notification that one must approach the fulfillment of one's aspirations wisely.

There is another interpretation that unites father and son, which suggests that Daedalus and Icarus are a collapsed dream that they almost managed to realize. After all, the master, who was careful, nevertheless reached the shore. This myth gave rise to the idiom "flight of Icarus", which is considered both positive and common nouns, having received several meanings:

1. Courage that is stronger than ordinary prohibitions.
2. Disobedience and inability to correctly assess their capabilities.
3. Overconfidence leading to death.
4. Innovation of ideas that is stronger than the fear of death.
5. Futility of daring.
6. Dissatisfaction with the seeker of truth, who also perishes from it.

Daedalus was a great inventor and artist of ancient Greece. He was born and lived in Athens. According to legend, the goddess of wisdom herself appeared to him in a dream - Athena... Thanks to its extraordinary mind and advice from Athens to pay attention to natural phenomena, he invented great things, for example, the world's first not oared, but sailing ship.

But Daedalus also distinguished by excessive pride and vanity... He liked to be aware of himself as the most intelligent of all the inhabitants of Athens. Daedalus had a nephew - Talos who was also an inventor and studied with Daedalus.

Once standing on a steep peak, Talos fell off him and died. According to one version, he was pushed by Daedalus, who did not want another inventor to exist in Athens. Then Athena, knowing the course of the future, saved Talas, turning him into a bird. According to another version, Talas broke himself. But anyway Daedalus was sentenced to leave Athens.

Then Daedalus sails to a neighboring island - Crete... There he meets a powerful but rumored cruel king Minos... The king bestows glory, wealth and honor on Daedalus, and in return requires the creation of sophisticated weapons for him and promises that he will use these weapons only for protection. Daedalus is peacefully working on his projects, when Minos' wife approaches him with an unusual request - Pasiphae... She asks to create a structure for her that looks like a bull.

Poseidon provided Minos with a divine white bull as a sacrifice to him. But Minos was so struck by the beauty of the bull that he hid it and sacrificed the usual one instead. For this offense, Poseidon cursed his wife - Pasiphae, instilling in her a passion for this bull.

Daedalus creates a wooden structure sheathed with hide and places this structure in the meadow so that Pasiphae can secretly satisfy his passion for the bull. So Pasiphae gives birth to a half-man, half-bull, who will be called Minotaur.

Soon a son is born to Daedalus from the slave girl Navkrata - Icarus... Gradually, Minos ceases to be so hospitable and begins to use the invented weapon to attack Athens, and then asks to create a "monster" for the newborn - the Minotaur, a prison from which it is impossible to escape.

Daedalus is forced to agree, and creates a labyrinth of the minotaur, from which it is almost impossible to escape. Upon completion of the construction, Minos informs him that the labyrinth was needed not only to hide this "monster" in it, but also to avenge the death of his son on the Athenians Androgyne who died in the war against the Athenians.

Now, every year, Aegeus, the king of Athens, must provide him with 7 young girls and 7 young men, who must be placed in a labyrinth to be eaten by a minotaur.

Daedalus could no longer tolerate this, but he could not escape either. By land - he and his son will be caught, by sea - too. Then he remembers the advice of Athena and looks closely at the clues of nature. Looking at the birds in the sky, a plan is conceived. He decides to build wings and fly to neighboring countries by air.

Soon he constructs two pairs of wings for himself and his son, Icarus. And now, standing in front of a steep cliff, Daedalus warns his son: "Do not fly too close to the sea, otherwise the water will wet the wings and they will become heavy, but also do not fly too close to the sun, otherwise the wax will melt and the wings will disintegrate."

But young Icarus did not obey, flying up and wanting to be higher than the birds, higher than everyone, he played so much that he did not notice how he flew too close to the sun. The wax melted and Icarus disappeared from Daedalus's field of vision.

For a long time from the sky came the heart-rending cries of the father who had lost his child - IKAR!

Daedalus was forced to go west alone. According to one version, he arrived in the city of Kima, where the king received him Cocktail.

King Minos did not want to just give Daedalus and came up with a trick. He sent messengers all over the world with the message that whoever passed a thread through the shell and all its convolutions would be generously rewarded.

King Kokal asks Daedalus to help him with this riddle. Then Daedalus ties a thread to the ant and launches it into the shell, soon the thread is threaded through the shell and all its convolutions.

Kokal informs Minos about his solution and is waiting for a reward, but Minos demands that Daedalus be returned to him otherwise war with Crete cannot be avoided!
Kokal does not want to give up Daedalus and comes up with a plan. He invites Minos to his place. Upon arrival, his daughters seduce Minos and invite him to relax in the baths. There he is poured with boiling water, and he dies of burns.

A similar plot deserves a picture:

Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder depicted the death of Icarus in his painting. However, it is not so easy to immediately see the main character, the viewer sees only the last act, when the main events - the fall of Icarus has already occurred and his legs only stick out of the water.

Nearby, you can see a partridge watching the death of Icarus. This is how the artist portrayed Talos, whom Athena turned into a bird. Ironically, the son of Daedalus could not fly, and the one whom Daedalus wanted to kill became a bird.

Neither the plowman, nor the shepherd, nor the fisherman, nor the people on the ship pay attention to Icarus, so the artist wanted to show what is in front of us stupid and ridiculous death... Death of a person who thinks too much of himself.

The main idea of ​​the myth of Daedalus and Icarus is that that vanity and pride do not lead to anything good. If Daedalus had not pushed Talos, then he would not have had to flee the city and work for the villain. If Icarus did not strive at all costs to surpass his father and rise higher, then he would not have died a stupid death.