Icarus
The son of Daedalus who flew on wings of wax and feathers but ignored his father's warning not to fly too close to the sun. The wax melted and he fell to his death.
The Legend of Icarus
Son of the master craftsman Daedalus, Icarus was imprisoned with his father in the Labyrinth on Crete by King Minos after Theseus escaped with Ariadne's help. Daedalus fashioned wings from feathers and wax, warning Icarus not to fly too close to Helios or too near Poseidon's sea. The boy, exhilarated by flight, soared too high. The sun melted the wax, and Icarus plunged into the waters below. Heracles later named the sea and island after him. Like Phaethon and Bellerophon, Icarus became a symbol of youthful ambition destroyed by overreach toward the realm of the gods.
Parents
Daedalus
Symbols
Fun Fact
The Icarian Sea, between the Greek islands of Ikaria and Samos, is named after the spot where Icarus was believed to have fallen.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Icarus
🗡 heroBoy who flew too close to the sun
Icarus was the son of Daedalus who escaped Crete on wings of wax and feathers but flew too high — the sun melted his wings and he fell into the sea.
Calais
🗡 heroWind, flight
Winged son of Boreas the North Wind who sailed with the Argonauts and drove off the Harpies
Aegeus
🗡 herotragedy
King of Athens and father of Theseus who threw himself into the sea when he saw black sails, believing his son was dead.
Phaethon
🗡 heroSon of Helios who drove the sun chariot
Phaethon was the son of Helios who insisted on driving the chariot of the sun and lost control, nearly burning the earth to ashes.
Daedalus
🗡 heroMaster craftsman and inventor
The greatest inventor and craftsman of Greek mythology. Daedalus built the Labyrinth, crafted wings for human flight, and created automata — living statues.
Daedalus
🗡 herocraft, invention
The legendary master craftsman of Athens and Crete who created the Labyrinth, artificial wings, and living statues, embodying the Greek ideal of techne.
Bellerophon and Pegasus
🗡 herohubris, fall
The hero who tamed Pegasus and slew the Chimera but was destroyed by his own hubris when he tried to fly to Olympus.
Theseus
🗡 heroheroism
Athenian prince who entered the Cretan Labyrinth, killed the Minotaur with Ariadne's help, then abandoned her on Naxos.
Theseus
🗡 heroFounder-hero of Athens
Theseus was the great hero of Athens who slew the Minotaur, united Attica, and established Athenian democracy — Athens' answer to Heracles.
Althaemenes
🗡 heroFate, exile
Cretan prince who fled to Rhodes to avoid a prophecy that he would kill his father, only to fulfil it
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece, aided by Medea's sorcery.
Bellerophon
🗡 heroThe hero who tamed Pegasus
The Corinthian hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and slew the Chimera, but fell from heaven when he tried to reach Olympus.