Daedalus

Role: craftsman · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 2.6

🌐 Also appears in: The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Dædalus)

Daedalus was the son of Eupalamus and Alcippe, and Talos was his pupil. He had been banished from Athens for murder after throwing Talos, the son of his sister Perdix, from the acropolis; in return for Heracles, he made a portrait statue of him at Pisa.

In Crete, Daedalus became an accomplice of Pasiphae in her love for Poseidon’s bull. “He constructed a wooden cow on wheels, took it, hollowed it out in the inside, sewed it up in the hide of a cow which he had skinned, and set it in the meadow in which the bull used to graze.” After Pasiphae gave birth to Asterius (Minotaur), Minos imprisoned him in the Labyrinth Daedalus had constructed, whose tangled passages perplexed the way out.

When Theseus needed the way out of the Labyrinth, Daedalus was besought to disclose it. Later, Minos pursued him, and Daedalus was concealed at the court of Cocalus with his son Icarus, who had been borne to him by Naucrate. “But the infatuated Icarus, disregarding his father's injunctions, soared ever higher, till, the glue melting, he fell into the sea called after him Icarian, and perished.”

Relationship record

Life events

• Daedalus enabled Pasiphae to mate with Poseidon's bull using a wooden cow.(Apollodorus, Library 3.1)
  • With: Pasiphae
  • “He constructed a wooden cow on wheels, took it, hollowed it out in the inside, sewed it up in the hide of a cow which he had skinned, and set it in the meadow in which the bull used to graze. Then he introduced Pasiphae into it; and the bull came and coupled with it, as if it were a real cow.”
• Pasiphae gave birth to the Minotaur, whom Minos imprisoned in Daedalus's Labyrinth.(Apollodorus, Library 3.1 · 📍 Labyrinth)
  • With: Pasiphae Asterius (Minotaur) Minos
  • “And she gave birth to Asterius, who was called the Minotaur. He had the face of a bull, but the rest of him was human; and Minos, in compliance with certain oracles, shut him up and guarded him in the Labyrinth.”
• Icarus flew too high, fell into the sea, and perished despite Daedalus’s warning.(Apollodorus, Epitome 1 · 📍 Icarian)
  • With: Icarus
  • “But the infatuated Icarus, disregarding his father's injunctions, soared ever higher, till, the glue melting, he fell into the sea called after him Icarian, and perished.”

Apollodorus, Library 2.6

• with Heracles (interaction) “In return Daedalus made a portrait statue of Hercules at Pisa”

Apollodorus, Library 3.1

• with Pasiphae (accomplice) “In her love for the bull she found an accomplice in Daedalus, an architect, who had been banished from Athens for murder.”
• with Asterius (Minotaur) (constructed the Minotaur's Labyrinth) “Now the Labyrinth which Daedalus constructed was a chamber “ that with its tangled windings perplexed the outward way. ””

Apollodorus, Library 3.15

• parent: Eupalamus “Daedalus, whose father was Eupalamus”
• parent: Alcippe “and whose mother was Alcippe”
• pupil: Talos “for Talos was his pupil”
• with Talos (interaction) “he had thrown down from the acropolis Talos, the son of his sister Perdix”

Apollodorus, Epitome 1

• with Theseus (interaction) “she besought Daedalus to disclose the way out of the labyrinth.”
• child: Icarus “along with his son Icarus, who had been borne to Daedalus by Naucrate, a female slave of Minos.”
• enemies with Minos “And Minos pursued Daedalus”
• with Cocalus (interaction) “to the court of Cocalus, with whom Daedalus was concealed”

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places → · 🌳 Family orrery →

Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.