Review of "Daedalus and Icarus" by Ovid

Daedalus and Icarus was written in Latin by Ovid as a part of Ovid’s Metamorphoses in 8 CE. Daedalus and his son Icarus have been trapped on an island by King Minos in exile. Daedalus decides that it is finally time to escape from their exile, but knowing that Minos rules over the land and waters, he realizes that the only way they can escape is by flying through the skies.

Daedalus works diligently to create wings for him and Icarus to fly through the skies. Daedalus works patiently, despite Icarus’ constant messing with his work. He uses feathers, wax, and strings to create bird-like wings that will allow them to soar for a long time.

Daedalus tests the wings and teaches Icarus how to fly with them. Just before takeoff, he warns Icarus not to fly too low to the water so that the water weight will not weigh down his wings, but he cannot fly too high because the sun will melt the wax holding his wings together.

They take off, flying through the skies, and several farmers and plowmen recognize that the two have “changed nature," making the metamorphosis complete. However, in the middle of their flight, Icarus gets distracted and forgets his father’s warning, flying too high up. The heat of the sun melts the wax on his wings, and he falls to his death in the water from his wings breaking. Daedalus, heartbroken, yells out for his son, hearing nothing, and seeing only loose feathers floating at the surface of the water.

The moral of Daedalus and Icarus is to not let naive impulsivity and curiosity deter you from cautionings of those you trust. I translated Daedalus and Icarus in Latin class, and the hopeful and heartbreaking twists of this tale has certainly made it my favorite of Ovid’s stories.