The Fall Of Icarus

"Daedalus built the labyrinth for King Minos, but afterwards lost the favour of the king, and was shut up in a tower. He contrived to make his escape from his prison, but could not leave the island by sea, as the king kept strict watch on all the vessels, and permitted none to sail without being carefully searched. “Minos may control the land and sea,’ said Daedalus, “but not the regions of the air. I will try that way.’

So he set to work to fabricate wings for himself and his young son Icarus.

He wrought feathers together, beginning with the smallest and adding larger, so as to form an increasing surface. The larger ones he secured with thread and the smaller with wax, and gave the whole a gentle curvature like the wings of a bird. Icarus, the boy, stood and looked on, sometimes running to gather up the feathers which the wind had blown away, and then handling the wax and working it over with his fingers, by his play impeding his father in his labours. When at last the work was done, the artist, waving his wings, found himself buoyed upward, and hung suspended, poising himself on the beaten air. He next equipped his son in the same manner and taught him how to fly, as a bird tempts her young ones from the lofty nest into the air. When all was prepared for flight he said, “Icarus, my son, I charge you to keep at a moderate height, for if you fly too low the damp will clog your wings, and if too high the heat will melt them. Keep near me and you will be safe.’
While he gave him these instructions and fitted the wings to his shoulders, the face of the father was wet with tears, and his hands trembled. He kissed the boy, not knowing that it was for the last time. Then rising on his wings, he flew off, encouraging him to follow, and looked back from his own flight to see how his son managed his wings. As they flew the ploughman stopped his work to gaze, aid the shepherd leaned on his staff and watched them, astonished at the sight, and thinking they were gods who could thus cleave the air.

"They passed Samos and Delos on the left and Lebynthos on the right, when the boy, exulting in his career, began to leave the guidance of his companion and soar upward as if to reach heaven. The nearness of the blazing sun softened the wax which held the feathers together, and they came off. He fluttered with his arms, but no feathers remained to hold the air. While his mouth uttered cries to his father it was submerged in the blue waters of the sea which thenceforth was called by his name. His father cried, “Icarus, Icarus, where are you?’ At last he saw the feathers floating on the water, and bitterly lamenting his own arts, he buried the body and called the land Icaria in memory of his child. Daedalus arrived safe in Sicily, where he built a temple to Apollo, and hung up his wings, an offering to the god."

The Fall of Icarus - Ovid Metamorphosis

These, as the angler at the silent brook,

Or mountain-shepherd leaning on his crook,
Or gaping plowman, from the vale descries,
They stare, and view 'em with religious eyes,
And strait conclude 'em Gods; since none, but they,
Thro' their own azure skies cou'd find a way.
When now the boy, whose childish thoughts aspire
To loftier aims, and make him ramble high'r,
Grown wild, and wanton, more embolden'd flies
Far from his guide, and soars among the skies.
The soft'ning wax, that felt a nearer sun,
Dissolv'd apace, and soon began to run.
The youth in vain his melting pinions shakes,

His feathers gone, no longer air he takes:
Oh! Father, father, as he strove to cry,
Down to the sea he tumbled from on high,
And found his Fate; yet still subsists by fame,
Among those waters that retain his name

Lesson Of Icarus

Everybody who read the story have their own interpretation, especially for the greek Mythology

In Production better said as "a process" there are three important factor to observe for defect detect tracing: Man - Machines - Environment, all will works perfectly as it's planned if only all of three factor could corresponds each other in kinds of feedback action.

Man drives his car/machines from one point to another points on different roads environments conditions; he would prepared and made check of his condition (psychological, health, etc.), his car and information about weather, roads etc. The more information he could coup the more precise is his plan.

Normally good plan valuated as half of the achievement, the rest is belongs to human factor and environment condition or force major condition. We come out of Bar, we checked our per-mills alcohol content, we make turnaround check of the car tire, painted, etc. then we start the engine and looking to indicator battery, fuels etc. latter we turn on radio to hear which road is empty which is crowded, we also looking to know about the weather etc. the rest is action on the streets when all of three factor corresponds in feedback self regulated action.

What I have learned from The Fall Of Icarus; he made some failure on his escape journey, because he's ignored all three aspect:

1. Man => he ignored to follow the procedure, he was tempted to reach the highest sky.


2. Machine => reliability of his flying machines materials still questionable.


3. Environments => the heat of the sun.

Moral Of The Story is as shorts as the story itself, that were firstly "don't fly on the day light" ==> If only he fly on the full moon he would have no trouble, since what he needed is just the light not the sun radiation heat.

Secondly "Confronted both Minos who rules the land and sea, with the Kings whose rules the Air"==> then he could freely used all three alternative for escaped through land-sea and air, because both of them still busy to fight each others.

See you Minos hope you could found the way out from Daedalus Labyrinth.