Daedalus was the creator of the labyrinth in which reigned, imprisoned, the Minotaur. In order to keep their silence, Daedalus and his son Icarus were imprisoned on an island. Inventor that he was, Daedalus created two pairs of wings that would carry him and Icarus in flight from the island.
"Don't go too close to the water, or the splashing waves will make your wings wet and heavy," he warned Icarus, "and don't get too close to the sun, either, or its hot rays will melt the wax that holds the feathers together."
Yet Icarus, who was just a boy, delighted in flying and forgot these warnings completely. As he flew higher and higher, his wings fell away and they were lost to him. Icarus tumbled down into the sea. He drowned.
You will find Icarus in this painting (as created in 1558 by the Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder). You may want to check the bigger version.
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