Daedalus, << DEHD uh luhs, >> in Greek mythology, was a skilled Athenian craftsman and inventor. Daedalus took his nephew Perdix, or Talos, as an apprentice. Perdix proved to be such a brilliant craftsman that Daedalus killed him in a jealous rage. After his crime, Daedalus fled to Crete. Minos, the king of Crete, hired Daedalus, who created many ingenious inventions while in the ruler’s service. His work included the labyrinth, a mazelike building, which imprisoned a monster called the Minotaur (see Minotaur).
Daedalus helped Minos’ daughter Ariadne elope with Theseus, the slayer of the Minotaur. As punishment for the crime, Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his young son, Icarus, in the labyrinth. In order to escape, Daedalus made two pairs of wings from feathers, wax, and thread. Daedalus and Icarus used the wings to fly from Crete. However, Icarus flew too close to the sun. The wax in his wings melted and he plunged to his death in the sea. Minos pursued Daedalus to Sicily. According to one story, Daedalus killed the king by scalding him in a specially constructed bathtub.
