Minotaur and Daedalus Outsmarts Minos Essay

Submitted By bcwilson21
Words: 1360
Pages: 6

| Daedalus | Brian WilsonMrs. WhitsettEnglish 1 H3rd BlockFriday, April 27, 2012 |

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Daedalus was one of the most ingenious minds of all time. I. a. Introduction
II. a. Birth
b. Early Life
c. Genealogy
III. a. Overview of life b. Inventions
IV. a. Personality
V. a. Apprenticeship b. Banishment
VI. a. Life after Banishment
VII. a. Minotaur b. Labyrinth c. Death of Minotaur
IIX. a. Daedalus gets Trapped b. Daedalus Outsmarts Minos
IX. a. Daedalus & Son Escape b. Son Flies into the Sun & Dies c. Daedalus Buries Son d. Daedalus flies to Sicily
X. a. Minos Hunts Daedalus b. Minos Smokes Daedalus Out
XI. a. Daedalus Solves the Puzzle b. Minos Goes to Sicily
XII. a. Minos is Killed b. Daedalus Thanks Cocalus c. Daedalus Dies
XIII. a. Conclusion

Daedalus was one of the most ingenious minds of all time. He was born in Athens, Greece. He was famous for his works during his time, and was very self-confident. Daedalus was banished from Greece, After Banishment he fled to Crete and made some enemies there as well. This is where he made his most famous invention. He fled from Crete to Sicily and was hunted down by the king of Crete. The king tricks Daedalus into telling him where he was. When the king came for Daedalus he was killed by a man named Cocalus, Daedalus lived a long happy life and died of natural causes.
Daedalus was birthed by Alcippe, also known as Phrasmide and Iphinoe, and Metion. (“Archaeology, Mythology and History of Crete: Daedalus”) Daedalus is the grandson of Erechtheus. (Thompson, Martha) He is also a descendent of the Ultimate Craftsman, Hephaistos (Hephaestus). (Stewart, Michael W.) He was born is Athens, Greece. (Thompson, Martha) Daedalus can be translated to “Daedalo” meaning “to work cunningly.” (“Archaeology, Mythology and History of Crete: Daedalus”)
Daedalus was a famous architect, Inventor, and craftsman. (Thompson, Martha) Daedalus invented things that we now look back on and say “what would we have done without that.” His inventions include; he wooden cow, the Labyrinth at Knossos, artificial wings, and was even said to have invented images. (Thompson, Martha) He also invented Ariadne’s Dancing-Floor, and he prow of contemporary ships. (“Archaeology, Mythology and History of Crete: Daedalus”) He designed natural poses for statues, where previously their arms had been fixed stiffly to their sides. (Caviness, Alys)
He believed that he could find the solution to any problem. In many was this self-confidence was well founded because his inventions were beneficial and admired by gods and mortals. This was a good thing, but his other trait wasn’t always the best trait to have. Daedalus’ fatal flaw was excessive pride in his work and his personal reputation. (Caviness, Alys) This leads him down the wrong path later in his story.
For a short period of time his apprentice was his sisters’ son, Perdix. Daedalus then began to fear that he would surpass him in talent; to prevent this he murdered the boy by tossing him from the Acropolis of Athens. He was then tried at the Areopagus and banished from the city. After Daedalus was banished from Athens, he fled to Crete. (Thompson, Martha) At the time this seemed to be the best place for him to go.
While in Crete he began to work at the court of King Minos and Queen Pasiphae, in the magnificent palace of Knossos. While he was at the palace he constructed the wooden cow for the Queen to hide in to satisfy her amorous longings for a white bull sent by Poseidon. She hid in it and her longings were satisfied. By this she became pregnant with the Minotaur. (Thompson, Martha) This leads to a problem later in life for Daedalus.
When the Minotaur was born, Daedalus built the Labyrinth to contain the monstrous half-man, half-bull. Theseus came to Crete to attempt to slay the Minotaur. Ariadne, daughter of Minos and Pasiphae fell in love with Theseus and asked Daedalus to help him. Daedalus