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We now call a myth something fantastic, fictional, something that did not exist in real historical reality. Our word "myth" comes from the ancient Greek word "mythos". For or Hellenes, as they called themselves, this in translation meant "word, speech or conversation, intention, proverbs, hearing, statement, stories, translation, tale, content of the story." Therefore, the word had more meanings than the modern "myth". When we want to say that in fact something was not in the documented history, we use the adjective "mythical". For example, the famous Hercules (or Hercules, as the Romans called him) is a mythical person, the hero of many ancient Greek myths. There is also the word "mythology" (also Greek origin). We call it both the totality of the myths of a particular people, and the branch of knowledge, the science that studies myths.

Attitude towards myths in ancient Greece

Almost any nation from ancient times has traditions in which the historical is intertwined with the fictional, reality with fantasy. In these legends, not only people act, but also amazing creatures - the fruits of creativity. These are immortal gods and demigods, unprecedented creatures. Amazing miracles happen. In ancient times, people perceived myths as reliable stories about what happened before. But centuries passed, and they gradually turned into ordinary grandmother's tales. Already only small children believed in their reality. Legends began to be interpreted no longer in direct, but in figuratively. Myths were the embodiment of human dreams. For example, in the work "Daedalus and Icarus" the desire for flight is clearly reflected. However, there is also a moral here. The myth "Daedalus and Icarus" teaches that even from unattainable heights one can be overthrown down.

Myths as the basis of ancient Greek culture

In ancient Greece (or Hellas), myths were the basis of sculpture, literature, painting, theatrical art. They took shape long before writing spread there - the Greek alphabet. The same legend about some god or hero could exist in various options and interpretations: local, temporary (arising in different time) and copyright (everything depended on who invented or retold). The work "Daedalus and Icarus" was no exception. Similar myths were among different tribes and peoples. The point here is not only that one tribe could borrow this or that legend from another. Most often this happened when different peoples stood at a similar stage of development, lived in similar conditions. Sometimes the similarity of the myths of various tribes is explained by the initial relationship, common origin these communities, such as Greeks, Romans, Celts, Germans, Slavs, Iranians, Indians. The ancient Greek legend "Daedalus and Icarus" is very interesting. Pictures and sculptures dedicated to him, as well as summary it can be found in this article.

Ancient Greek Pantheon

Between the younger gods (Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Hestia, Demeter and others) and the older ones - the titans - there was a terrible ten-year war. Finally, the first with the help of those released from underworld the hundred-armed and the Cyclops defeated the latter and settled on Olympus. There were a lot of myths about the deeds of the gods - useful, and sometimes destructive for mortal people. They are like humans with their strengths and weaknesses.

Mythical creatures

Often in myths there are fantastic creatures - monsters. For example, ancient greek myth Daedalus and Icarus tells, along with the main storyline, and about the terrible Minotaur - the beast The fantasy of the ancient Greeks created centaurs - half-humans, half-horses, formidable Gorgons with snakes instead of hair, the seven-headed hydra of the three-headed dog Cerberus, guarding underworld Aida, etc.

Myths and astronomy

The names of almost all constellations are somehow connected with ancient Greek myths. evokes in our memory the legend of Perseus, and he himself also gave the name to the cluster of stars, like Andromeda's parents - Cepheus and Cassiopeia. Pegasus is the one winged horse, in which the hero Bellerophon opposed the chimeras. Ursa Major is the nymph Callisto (mother of Arkad, the ancestor of the Arcadians), Ursa Minor is the nymph Kinosura. Aries is the ram on which Phrixus and Gella flew to Colchis. Hercules also turned into Orion, a hunter who was a companion of Artemis. Lyra is the cithara of Orpheus, etc. Even the planets solar system they owe their names to myths. Next, the legend of Daedalus and Icarus will be told. This is an instructive story.

"Dedalus and Icarus": a summary. Outset of events

Once upon a time, in ancient times lived in Athens talented painter, carver and builder Daedalus - the offspring of the royal family. It was believed that Athena herself taught him various crafts. Daedalus built large palaces and temples that amazed everyone with their harmony. For them, he himself carved figures of immortal gods from wood, so beautiful that people then carefully kept them for centuries.

Daedalus' student was his nephew Tal, still a teenager. Once the guy looked at the fish bone, looked closely at it and soon made a saw - new thing for people. He invented to make it easier to sculpt dishes. Tal also invented the compass.

Tal's death and exile

The Athenians learned of the extraordinary ability of the disciple of Daedalus and rightly believed that the latter would soon surpass his teacher. And how terribly Athens was struck by the news that Tal, walking with Daedalus along the Acropolis, stumbled and fell from a height. The Athenians blamed the teacher for his death and sentenced the artist to exile. Daedalus sailed to Crete, where Minos reigned. There he got married. He had a son, Icarus. However, Daedalus greatly missed his native land. Then the king got in trouble. His wife gave birth to him instead of a son, a monster - the Minotaur. The master built a labyrinth for the monster to hide it from the eyes of people.

Daedalus and Icarus (exposition): the road home

Years have passed. Daedalus and Icarus were going to Athens. However, Minos did not let the master go. Daedalus came out this provision and he made wings for himself and for his son, like those of birds, to fly across the sky, if the sea is already closed to them. The master taught his offspring to fly and ordered him not to fly too high, otherwise the sun would melt the wax (a component of the wing construction). It was also not ordered to soar low above the sea, so that the water would not wet the flying device. The master taught his son to stick to the golden mean. However, they did not find mutual language Daedalus and Icarus (pictures with wings can be seen in this article).

The death of Icarus

The next day they starred in cloudless azure. No one in the ruler's palace saw this. Only the plowmen in the field observed the flight, the shepherd who drove the flock was seen by the fisherman. They all thought it was the immortal gods soaring. At first, Icarus obediently followed his father. However, the feeling of flight, unknown and surprising, filled him with inexpressible joy. After all, great happiness is to wave like a huge bird with large wings and feel that they take you even higher.

In indescribable delight, Icarus forgot the warning of his parent and rose very high - to the golden sun. Suddenly, with great horror, he began to feel that the wings no longer held him as tightly as before. The hot sunbeams melted their wax, and the feathers fell down. Now in vain the young man tried to wave his wingless arms. He called for help from his father, but Daedalus did not hear him. Then he searched long and desperately for his son. But I found only feathers on the waves. Realizing what had happened, he was mad with grief. The body of Icarus was buried by Hercules, and the sea into which he fell was called the Icarian.

Daedalus himself was in Sicily for a long time, and then moved to Athens, where he became the founder of the Daedalid family of artists.

Long time ago he lived in Athens great artist Daedalus, who carved such amazing figures of gods and people from marble that they seemed to be alive. For his hard work, he made many different tools, including an ax and a drill that easily screwed into the rock. The Athenians loved the artist very much, praised him in every possible way and did not imagine that Daedalus was capable of committing a crime.

He brought up a nephew named Tal. Daedalus taught him the trade of painter and sculptor. Tal soon impressed his teacher with many talents, in addition, he invented many new useful tools. Daedalus was frightened by the talents of his nephew, he realized that soon he would surpass him in skill. Anger and a desire to get rid of his nephew arose in his soul.

Somehow they ended up together on the Athenian Acropolis and approached the edge of the cliff. There was no one around. And then Daedalus unexpectedly with force pushed his nephew into the abyss. And then he ran downstairs. Finding a dead body, he began to dig a grave for him. The Athenians caught him doing this. A trial took place, and Daedalus was found guilty of the death of Tal, the artist was sentenced to death.

But Daedalus did not want to die, he managed to escape from Athens. He hid on the island of Crete, began to serve the mighty king Minos. He built for him the famous palace Labyrinth with intricate passages. In this palace, Minos kept the son of his wife Pasiphae, the Minotaur, scary monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull.

Daedalus made many beautiful works of art for King Mynos, but the king kept him as a prisoner. And Daedalus planned to leave him. He thought for a long time about which way to escape. He could not sail away by sea, he would have been immediately caught. Only the sky remained. And he decided to make wings.

Daedalus set to work. He collected different feathers, fastened them together with thread and wax. His son Icarus was always by his side. Finally two pairs of wings were ready. Daedalus attached a large pair to himself, waved them and rose into the air. When he sank to the ground, he said to Icarus, who was watching him with surprise:

My son, now you and I will fly away from Crete. Fly for me. Be careful not to approach the sea, so as not to wet your wings, nor to the sun, so as not to melt the wax.

They put on wings, flapped them and rose above the ground. The father waved harder, and they flew high above the ground. People who saw them thought that it was two gods flying. They passed the island of Delos, followed by Paros. Daedalus in front, followed by Icarus. He liked such a free flight, he forgot his father's instructions, waved his wings more strongly, rose high, high. The hot sun's rays melted the wax, the feathers crumbled, Icarus flew into the water and crashed.

Daedalus did not immediately notice that Icarus was not flying after him. Only in the waves did he see his body without wings and understand everything. But he did not descend, flew further, and the body of Icarus was washed ashore by the waves. And from that time the sea began to be called Ikarian. Daedalus continued his flight and landed on the island of Sicily, where King Kokal lived. Daedalus settled with him.

But King Minos soon found out where his fugitive artist was hiding, and arrived in Sicily with an army. He demanded that Kokal give him Daedalus. The daughters of Kokal, who did not want to part with him, stood up for the artist. They persuaded their father to accept Minos as a guest, invite him to take a bath, and then pour a cauldron of boiling water over his head. They did the same with Minos. He died in terrible agony, and Daedalus remained in Sicily.

Over time, Daedalus nevertheless moved to his homeland in Athens, where he became the founder of the school of Athenian artists.

Daedalus and Icarus

The greatest artist, sculptor and architect of Athens was Daedalus, a descendant of Erechtheus. It was said that he carved such marvelous statues from snow-white marble that they seemed alive; the statues of Daedalus seemed to be watching and moving. Daedalus invented many tools for his work, he invented an ax and a drill. The glory of Daedalus went far.

This artist had a nephew Tal, the son of his sister Perdika. Tal was a student of his uncle. Already in his early youth, he amazed everyone with his talent and ingenuity. It could be foreseen that Tal would far surpass his teacher. Daedalus was jealous of his nephew and decided to kill him. Once Daedalus stood with his nephew on the high Athenian acropolis at the very edge of the cliff. Nobody was around. Seeing that they were alone, Daedalus pushed his nephew off the cliff. The artist was sure that his crime would go unpunished. Falling from a cliff, Tal crashed to death. Daedalus hastily descended from the acropolis, picked up the body of Tal and already wanted to secretly bury it in the ground, but the Athenians caught Daedalus when he was digging a grave. The crime of Daedalus was revealed. The Areopagus sentenced him to death.

Fleeing from death, Daedalus fled to Crete to the mighty king Minos, the son of Zeus and Europe. Minos willingly took him under his protection. Many marvelous works of art were made by Daedalus for the king of Crete. He also built for him the famous palace of the Labyrinth with such intricate passages that, once entering it, it was impossible to find a way out. In this palace, Minos imprisoned the son of his wife Pasiphae, the terrible Minotaur, a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull.

Daedalus lived with Minos for many years. The king from Crete did not want to let him go, only he wanted to use the art of the great artist. Like a prisoner, held Minos Daedalus in Crete. Daedalus thought for a long time how to escape him, and finally found a way to free himself from Cretan bondage.

“If I cannot,” exclaimed Daedalus, “be saved from the power of Minos either by land or by sea, then the sky is open for flight!” Here is my way! Minos owns everything, only he does not own the air!

Daedalus set to work. He collected feathers, fastened them with linen thread and wax, and began to make four large wings from them. While Daedalus worked, his son Icarus played near his father: either he caught fluff, which flew up from the breath of the breeze, or crumpled wax in his hands. Finally, Daedalus finished his work: the wings were ready. Daedalus tied the wings behind his back, put his hands through the loops attached to the wings, waved them and smoothly rose into the air. Icarus looked in amazement at his father, who soared in the air like a huge bird. Daedalus descended to earth and said to his son:

– Listen, Icarus, now we will fly away from Crete. Be careful while flying. Do not go too low to the sea, so that the salt spray of the waves does not wet your wings. Do not rise even close to the sun: the heat can melt the wax, and the feathers will scatter. Follow me, keep up with me.

The father and son put wings on their hands and easily rose into the air. Those who saw them flying high above the earth thought that these were two gods rushing through the azure sky. Daedalus often turned around to see how his son was flying. They have already passed the islands of Delos, Paros, and are flying farther and farther.

A quick flight amuses Icarus, he flaps his wings more and more boldly. Icarus has forgotten his father's instructions, he does not fly after him. Strongly flapping his wings, Icarus flew high into the sky, closer to the radiant sun. The scorching rays melted the wax that held the feathers together, they fell out and scattered far through the air, driven by the wind. Icarus waved his hands, but there are no more wings on them. Headlong he fell from a terrible height into the sea and died in its waves.

Daedalus turned around, looking around. No Icarus. Loudly he began to call his son:

- Icarus! Icarus! Where are you? Respond!

No answer. Daedalus saw feathers from the wings of Icarus on the sea waves and understood what had happened. How Daedalus hated his art, how he hated the day when he planned to escape from Crete by air!

And the body of Icarus for a long time rushed along the waves of the sea, which became known by the name of the deceased Ikarian. Finally, the waves nailed the body of Icarus to the shore of the island, where Hercules found him and buried him. Daedalus continued his flight and finally arrived in Sicily. There he settled with King Kokal. Minos found out where the artist had hidden, went with a large army to Sicily and demanded that Kokal give him Daedalus.

The daughters of Kokal did not want to lose such an artist as Daedalus. They persuaded their father to agree to the demands of Minos and accept him as a guest in the palace. When Minos was taking a bath, the daughters of Kokal poured a cauldron of boiling water over his head; Minos died in terrible agony. Daedalus lived for a long time in Sicily. He spent the last years of his life at home, in Athens; there he became the ancestor of the Daedalides, a glorious family of Athenian artists.

The dream of flying originated in man in ancient times. The desire to fly like a bird is reflected in ancient legends and myths. Over time, there have been attempts to realize this idea. The path to it seemed to be obvious - one should make large wings out of twigs and linen or feathers and, imitating the movements of birds, rise into the air. But in reality, everything was not so simple. On such "wings" the experimenters could not fly and often paid for their courage with their lives.

Legend of Icarus.

The greatest artist, sculptor and architect of Athens was Daedalus, a descendant of Erhetheus. It was said that he carved such marvelous statues from snow-white marble that they seemed alive; the statues of Daedalus seemed to be watching and moving. Daedalus invented many tools for his work, he invented an ax and a drill. The glory of Daedalus went far.
This artist had a nephew Tal, the son of his sister Perdika. Tal, was a student of his uncle. Already in his early youth, he amazed everyone with his talent and ingenuity. It could be foreseen that Tal would far surpass his teacher. Daedalus was jealous of his nephew and decided to kill him. Once Daedalus stood with his nephew on the high Athenian Acropolis at the very edge of the cliff. Nobody was around. Seeing that they were alone, Daedalus pushed his nephew off the cliff. The artist was sure that his crime would go unpunished. Falling from a cliff, Tal crashed to death. Daedalus hastily descended from the Acropolis, raised the body of Tal and already wanted to secretly bury it in the ground, but the Athenians caught Daedalus when he was digging a grave. The crime of Daedalus was revealed. The Areopagus sentenced him to death.
Fleeing from death, Daedalus fled to Crete to the mighty king Minos, the son of Zeus and Europe. Minos willingly took him under his protection. Many marvelous works of art were made by Daedalus for the king of Crete. He also built for him the famous palace of the Labyrinth with such intricate passages that, once entering it, it was impossible to find a way out. In this palace, Minos imprisoned the son of his wife Pasiphae, the terrible Minotaur, a monster with the body of a man and the head of a bull. Daedalus lived with Minos for many years. The king from Crete did not want to let him go, only he wanted to use the art of the great artist. As if a prisoner was held by Minos Daedalus in Crete. Daedalus thought for a long time how to escape him, and finally found a way to free himself from Cretan bondage. “If I cannot,” Daedalus exclaimed, “be saved from the power of Minos either by land or by sea, then the sky is open for flight! Here is my way! Minos owns everything, only he does not own the air!
Daedalus set to work. He collected feathers, fastened them with linen thread and wax, and began to make four large wings from them. While Daedalus worked, his son Icarus played near his father: either he caught fluff, which flew up from the breath of the breeze, or crumpled wax in his hands. Finally, Daedalus finished his work: the wings were ready. Daedalus tied the wings to his back, put his hands through the loops attached to the wings, waved them and smoothly rose into the air. Icarus looked in amazement at his father, who soared in the air like a huge bird. Daedalus descended to earth and said to his son:
- Listen, Icarus, now we will fly away from Crete. Be careful while flying. Do not go too low to the sea, so that the salt spray of the waves does not wet your wings. Do not rise even close to the sun: the heat can melt the wax, and the feathers will scatter. Follow me, keep up with me.
The father and son put wings on their hands and easily rose into the air. Those who saw them flying high above the earth thought that these were two gods rushing through the azure sky. Daedalus often turned around to see how his son was flying. They have already passed the islands of Delos, Paros, and are flying farther and farther.
A quick flight amuses Icarus, he flaps his wings more and more boldly. Icarus has forgotten his father's instructions, he does not fly after him. Strongly flapping his wings, Icarus flew high into the sky, closer to the radiant sun. The scorching rays melted the wax that held the feathers together, they fell out and scattered far through the air, driven by the wind. Icarus waved his hands, but there are no more wings on them. Headlong he fell from a terrible height into the sea and died in its waves. Daedalus turned around, looking around. No Icarus. Loudly he began to call his son:
— Icarus! Icarus! Where are you? Respond!
No answer. Daedalus saw feathers from the wings of Icarus on the sea waves and understood what had happened. How Daedalus hated his art, how he hated the day when he planned to escape from Crete by air!
And the body of Icarus for a long time rushed along the waves of the sea, which became known by the name of the deceased Ikarian. Finally, the waves nailed the body of Icarus to the shore of the island, where Hercules found him and buried him. Daedalus continued his flight and finally arrived in Sicily. There he settled with King Kokal. Minos found out where the artist had hidden, went with a large army to Sicily and demanded that Kokal give him Daedalus.
The daughters of Kokal did not want to lose such an artist as Daedalus. They persuaded their father to agree to the demands of Minos and accept him as a guest in the palace. When Minos was taking a bath, the daughters of Kokal poured a cauldron of boiling water over his head; Minos died in terrible agony. Daedalus lived for a long time in Sicily. He spent the last years of his life at home, in Athens; there he became the ancestor of the Daedalides, a glorious family of Athenian artists.

Daedalus, a descendant of King Erechtheus, lived in Athens, he was a great architect, artist and sculptor ancient Hellas. He built many beautiful buildings and temples, created many wonderful statues, which were of such great skill that they were said to be moving and seeing. Daedalus invented many tools useful for people.
Daedalus had a nephew, his disciple Taloe. He was distinguished by even greater talent and skill than Daedalus. As a boy, he invented the saw without the help of his teacher - this idea prompted him to look at a fish bone. He invented compasses, potter's wheel, chisel and many other useful items.
And so Daedalus, jealous of his gifted student Talos, decided to kill him. Once he threw him from the high Athenian Acropolis. They learned about this, and in order to avoid the punishment that threatened him, Daedalus left native city Athens and fled to the island of Crete, to the power-hungry king Minos, who happily accepted the skilled craftsman.
Minos instructed him to build a huge building for the terrible bull Minotaur with many winding, intricate passages.
And there was a Minotaur half-bull-half-man, he had a body of a bull. And so the inventive Daedalus built a huge labyrinth for the monster, consisting of many long underground corridors, from where it was impossible for anyone who did not know them to get back. This is where King Minos settled his Minotaur.
But Daedalus soon realized that the king was looking at him as his prisoner, that they were watching him and did not want to let him go, but he wanted to leave Crete and return to his homeland.
Once Daedalus presented a gift to Pasiphae, the wife of Minos, without telling the king about it. For this, the cruel Minos decided to take revenge on the artist.
He ordered to conclude Daedalus, along with his son Icarus, in a terrible labyrinth, but they managed to escape from there. And so Daedalus firmly decided to leave the island of Crete, but it was almost impossible to do this. And then Daedalus thought: “If the sea routes are closed to me, only the free sky remains for me. The evil and greedy Minos can take over everything, but not the sky! And he began to think about how he could rise into the air and master the free element.
Daedalus thought for a long time, and, carefully watching the flight of birds, he began to skillfully fit the bird feathers one to one, starting from the smallest to the longest, and tied them in the middle with linen threads, and fastened them with wax at the bottom. So he made them look like real big wings, then he gave them a slight bend, which happens with the wingspan of birds.
The young son of Daedalus, Icarus, closely followed the work of his father and began to help him. When the wings were ready, Daedalus put them on and, waving them like a bird, rose into the air. Icarus began to ask his father to make the same wings for him and take him on a flight with him. Daedalus made wings for Icarus and began to instruct him before departure:
- My son, hold on, flying, the middle. If you go too low, the waves of the sea can wet your wings and you will drown in the sea, but if you rise high, the hot sun can scorch them and the wax that holds the wings together will melt. Keep your path between the sea and the sun, fly after me.
Having made wings for Icarus, he soon taught him to rise above the ground.
On the day when it was decided to fly from the island of Crete, Daedalus, early at dawn, attached wings to Icarus, hugged him, kissed him and took off into the air. Icarus followed him.
Just as a bird that has flown out of its nest for the first time looks back, encourages it and points out how easier it is to fly, so Daedalus looked back timidly at his son Icarus. The fishermen looked at them in amazement, pulling a net on the seashore; the shepherds and farmers who followed the plow wondered if it was the gods flying over the fields. And there was already an open sea under Daedalus and Icarus, the islands of Samos, Patmos and Delos, Lebint and Kalymna remained behind them, and the shores of Hellas were already visible in the distance. Many people marveled at the brave aeronauts. Icarus began to fly bolder and, forgetting his father's advice, rose high to the sky to refresh his chest in the cold ether. But the hot sun melted the wax that fastened the feathers on the wings, they fell apart and hung on the shoulders of Icarus.
In vain, the unfortunate young man stretched out his hands to his father, the air no longer held him, and now Icarus is rapidly falling into the sea. In fright, he only managed to shout the name of his father and drowned in the raging waves. Daedalus looked around, hearing the cry of his son, but in vain he looked for him. - Icarus, where are you? Daedalus shouted for a long time. But only feathers floated on the waves of the sea. Delal landed on the nearest island, and for a long time he wandered, sad, along the seashore. Soon the body of Icarus was washed ashore by the waves.
Daedalus buried his beloved son, and from that time on the island that Ikaria began to be called, and the sea in which Icarus drowned was named Ikarian in memory of him.
Directed his way Delal from Ikaria to Sicily and was there cordially received by King Kokal. He did many wonderful works for him and his daughters: he built a beautiful palace on a high rock, built a deep cave in which he arranged underground heating, erected a temple to Aphrodite and made golden honeycombs for him so skillfully that it seemed they were filled with real transparent honey . Minos, trying to find Daedalus, came up with a trick. He announced that he would give a big reward to whoever could thread a thread through a winding shell. Kokal, seduced by the reward, instructed Daedalus to complete this task. A skilled craftsman tied a thread to the ant's leg, and the ant pulled it through the shell. Kokal reported this to Minos, and he then guessed that Daedalus was at Kokal. Then Minos arrived in warships in Sicily to bring Daedalus back to him. But the daughters of the Sicilian king, who loved Delalus, decided to destroy the evil Minos: they prepared a warm bath for him and, while he was sitting in it, poured boiling water over him.
Having lost his son, Daedalus from that time on was no longer happy. Having done a lot of wonderful things for people, he lived to a very sad old age and died, according to some legends, in Sicily, and according to others - in Athens, where after him there was a glorious family of Daedalides, that is, the descendants of Daedalus.

Myths and legends ancient greece. Illustrations.