What does Icarus teach us?

To listen to good advice and not let excitement carry us past safe limits. Flying too close to the sun has become a saying for being overambitious or reckless.

His wings were made of feathers held together with wax. He ignored his father's warning, flew too high, and the sun's heat softened the wax, so the feathers came loose and he fell into the sea.

Where did Icarus fall?

The ancient stories place it near the island of Icaria in the eastern Aegean, which Ovid says was named after him. The sea around it is called the Icarian Sea.

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Greek myth · 声匠改编 · 4:08

Icarus and Daedalus

Trapped on Crete, the inventor Daedalus builds wings of feathers and wax. His one rule for his son: not too low, not too high. Then Icarus sees the sun.

Narrator

Daedalus

Icarus

King Minos

A Fisherman

0:000:00

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About this story

The flight of Daedalus and Icarus is a Greek myth best known from the Roman poet Ovid, who tells it in Book 8 of his Metamorphoses, completed around AD 8. Daedalus, the inventor who built the Labyrinth on Crete, makes wings of feathers, thread and wax to escape King Minos, who controls the land and the sea, and warns his son to fly the middle course between sea and sun. This retelling follows Ovid closely, including the fisherman who mistakes them for gods and the naming of the island of Icaria, and tells Icarus's fall gently, without frightening detail.

What it teaches

Listen to the people who keep you safe, and know your limits, even when you're having the time of your life. The myth also celebrates Daedalus's ingenuity: a clever mind can find a way out where others see only walls.

Suits

Ages 6–12

Tips for telling it

Before the flight, ask your child to repeat Daedalus's rule: not too low, not too high.
Icarus's fall is sad. Pause afterwards and talk about how Daedalus must feel.
Fold paper wings together and ask: what would you have done differently from Icarus?

Questions people ask

What does Icarus teach us?: To listen to good advice and not let excitement carry us past safe limits. Flying too close to the sun has become a saying for being overambitious or reckless.
Why did Icarus fall?: His wings were made of feathers held together with wax. He ignored his father's warning, flew too high, and the sun's heat softened the wax, so the feathers came loose and he fell into the sea.
Where did Icarus fall?: The ancient stories place it near the island of Icaria in the eastern Aegean, which Ovid says was named after him. The sea around it is called the Icarian Sea.

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King Midas and the Golden Touch

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King Midas wishes that everything he touches will turn to gold. Then he gets hungry, and his daughter runs in for a hug. A gentle Greek myth for kids.