"You Have Married an Icarus"

Careful, don’t be like Icarus and fly too close to the sun. Not something you’d hear everyday; but a very popular quote. Thanks Lin Manuel, Hamilton taught us well. But have you ever heard the actual story of Icarus? The story, like so many of them, comes from Greek mythology and has plenty of twists and dark turns to leave you spinning. 

The take begins not with Icurus but with King Minos, King of Crete. He had been given  a white ox, from the god Poseidon. Poseidon ruled over the seas and rode a chariot driven by water horses along with a triten in his dominating stance. King Minos had promised Poseidon that he would sacrifice the white ox to him. However, after receiving it he kept it neglectful of his promise to Poseidon. Angering Poseidon, King Minos caused him to curse the king's wife, Pasiphae. With this curse she fell in love with the ox and had an affair with it. (I know Greeks have an interesting way of thinking.) She became pregnant with their love child, soon giving birth to the Minatour. Everyone told him to kill it, but he decided to trap him. But how does the Icarus fit in this story? That’s when Daedalus comes into play.

Daedalus is the father of Icarus.While Minos was dealing with half oxen love child Daedalus had a lot going on in Acropolis. He was accused of pushing his nephew off of a cliff out of envy; and was forced to leave. He then ended up in Crete much to Minos’ benefit.  Daedalus was a master architect and was hired by Minos to build a labyrinth. This is a maze that they ended up trapping the Minatour in. However, he would soon find himself and Icaurs trapped in his own creation. 

When a prince from Athens came to Crete to be a human sacrifice, the daughter of Minos and Pasiphae sought out Daedalus for help. She wanted to know how to escape the labyrinth in order to help the man escape. When Minos found out that he had given him the solution, he had Daedalus and Icarus placed inside of the maze. The only way that he was able to escape was building wings for the both of them. He did so by putting feathers and clay together so that they could fly out to safety. 

However, the one thing they had to be careful of was flying too close to the sun. Doing so would cause the wings to melt. While escaping Icarus did just that. Getting captivated by the fact he was soaring through the sky he forgot his father’s warning. His wings immediately began melting before sending him to his indefinite demise. Some believe that this was karma for Daedalus for killing his nephew. It's thought that when he kicked his nephew off the cliff he turned into a bird and flew to safety. Knowing this makes the death of Icarus truly look like karma came full circle. 

The story of Icarus can be used as a warning for many like him. It seems to say be careful your ego can help you; but can also lead you to your own demise. Even your own curiosity can harm you if you aren’t careful. Don’t be like Icurus and find out the hard way. At the end of the day you’re in control of your own decisions. Only you can control how your life can play out. Take the warning of Angelica, don’t marry an Icarus who has flown too close to the Sun. 

Works Cited

“Icarus.” Greek Mythology, www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Icarus/icarus.html