He then embraced his son and kissed him for the last time.
The two rose in air. The father led the way, flying as natural as a
bird. He moved his wings easily and skilfully and from time to time
looked back to see how his son was succeeding. They soon passed the
island of Samos at the left and flew by the islands of Delos and Paros.
Several other localities were left behind them when suddenly Icarus, who
had grown over-confident, forsook his paternal guide to reach a higher
altitude. He soon encountered the danger his father predicted. The
proximity of the sun weakened the wax which held his wings together and
they became detached from his shoulders. The unfortunate youth tried to
keep in air with his bare arms, but it was in vain and he suddenly
plunged downwards with the name of his father on his lips; but before he
could call for help he sank in the sea’s blue depths. It all happened so
quickly that Dædalus, when he looked back for his son, could see nothing
of him. “Icarus, Icarus,” he shouted in the vacant sky, “where and in
what region of air shall I seek thee?” At last he cast an anxious glance
downward and saw the feathers floating on the water. He descended and
wandered from shore to shore seeking the body of his unfortunate child,
and at last found it. The murder of Talos was avenged. The despairing
father attended to the burial of his son, upon an island which in
lasting memory of the tragic event is called Icaria.
After Dædalus had buried his son he went to the large island of Sicily,
where King Cocalus ruled. He met with the same hospitable reception
which Minos once extended to him, and his skill created universal
astonishment. He constructed an artificial lake from which issued a
broad river emptying into the neighboring sea. Upon a barren and almost
insurmountable cliff, which had hardly room for a couple of trees, he
built a strong fortress approached by a winding way which could be
defended by three or four men. King Cocalus used this impregnable castle
as a storehouse for his treasures. The third work of Dædalus was a deep
cavern on the island of Sicily. Here he overcame the reek of internal
fires so skilfully that a visit to the cavern, which was usually so
damp, became as agreeable as if it were a mildly warmed room and the
body experienced a gentle perspiration without being overheated. He also
enlarged the temple of Aphrodite (Venus) upon Mount Eryx[21] and
dedicated to the goddess a golden honeycomb so skilfully made that it
was difficult to tell it from a real one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account