WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.560 Daedalus and Icarus 00:00:04.560 --> 00:00:09.030 In the great city of Athens there lived an inventor. 00:00:09.030 --> 00:00:11.190 His name was Daedalus. 00:00:11.190 --> 00:00:13.780 He had made many wonderful things. 00:00:13.780 --> 00:00:16.260 He had changed the course of rivers, 00:00:16.260 --> 00:00:18.590 harnessed the power of the wind. 00:00:18.590 --> 00:00:23.510 It was said he could bend nature to his will. 00:00:23.510 --> 00:00:28.800 Rumours reached Athens of a tremendous fleet of ships crossing the sea. 00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:32.690 The old men, the old women gossiped about an invasion. 00:00:32.690 --> 00:00:36.130 Daedalus forgot the stories the moment he heard them. 00:00:36.130 --> 00:00:39.300 He was preoccupied with something far more important, 00:00:39.300 --> 00:00:41.940 his son’s birthday present. 00:00:41.940 --> 00:00:43.400 What to give him? 00:00:43.400 --> 00:00:47.320 Icarus was a thoughtful child. 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:54.140 He would sit on the flat roof of their little house and watch the birds scything through the air above. 00:00:54.140 --> 00:00:55.970 Of all of the birds, 00:00:55.970 --> 00:01:01.110 he loved the hovering hawks the most. 00:01:01.110 --> 00:01:02.960 The great day came. 00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:07.070 Daedalus led his son onto the roof and there, before the boy, 00:01:07.070 --> 00:01:13.240 was a strange feathered thing with a long snake of a tail. 00:01:13.240 --> 00:01:15.380 ‘What is it?’ 00:01:15.380 --> 00:01:20.010 Daedalus was dimly aware of a commotion in the streets below. 00:01:20.010 --> 00:01:21.570 ‘Let me show you.’ 00:01:21.570 --> 00:01:25.550 Within moments the thing was swooping and soaring; 00:01:25.550 --> 00:01:30.380 it was a kite, the very first kite. 00:01:30.380 --> 00:01:32.290 Daedalus heard a shout. 00:01:32.290 --> 00:01:33.190 He looked down. 00:01:33.190 --> 00:01:35.460 The streets were swarming with soldiers. 00:01:35.460 --> 00:01:38.240 They wore an armour the like of which he had never seen before. 00:01:38.240 --> 00:01:44.510 Emblazoned across their breastplates was a strange symbol, a two-headed axe. 00:01:44.510 --> 00:01:46.700 One of them was pointing at the kite; 00:01:46.700 --> 00:01:48.760 now he was pointing at Daedalus. 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:49.750 ‘That’s him!’ 00:01:49.750 --> 00:01:51.550 They were battering the door of his house. 00:01:51.550 --> 00:01:53.070 Now they were charging upstairs. 00:01:53.080 --> 00:01:55.370 Icarus, frantic: ‘We must escape!’ 00:01:55.370 --> 00:01:56.800 ‘How?’ said Daedalus. 00:01:56.800 --> 00:01:58.170 ‘Fly?’ 00:01:58.170 --> 00:02:02.100 Now, they were surrounded. 00:02:02.100 --> 00:02:14.470 The soldiers parted to reveal none other than the king of the island of Crete, Minos. 00:02:14.470 --> 00:02:18.640 Daedalus, trembling, bowed. 00:02:18.640 --> 00:02:23.080 ‘Your fame has travelled far across the sea, Daedalus. 00:02:23.080 --> 00:02:28.200 Stories of the wonders you have made have reached my distant home.’ 00:02:28.200 --> 00:02:31.800 He put his hand on Daedalus’ shoulder. 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:36.100 ‘How would you like to help me make a palace, 00:02:36.100 --> 00:02:39.780 a tremendous palace, that will scrape the sky, 00:02:39.780 --> 00:02:48.440 that will be so astonishing men and women will tell tales of it for as long as there are people on this earth?’ 00:02:48.440 --> 00:02:50.800 The very next day, 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:56.380 Daedalus and Icarus sailed off in one of Minos’ ships. 00:02:56.380 --> 00:02:59.260 On Crete, they were given a mansion; 00:02:59.260 --> 00:03:02.570 they were feasted every night. 00:03:02.570 --> 00:03:05.630 When Minos explained his plan for the palace, 00:03:05.630 --> 00:03:13.080 Daedalus understood the king had been speaking truth when he’d said tales of this palace would echo down the ages. 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:17.490 It was to bristle with spearlike towers, 00:03:17.490 --> 00:03:23.440 but it was what would be under the palace that was most remarkable – 00:03:23.440 --> 00:03:30.880 a vast labyrinth of such complexity that no one could escape from it. 00:03:30.880 --> 00:03:32.490 Daedalus asked the king, 00:03:32.490 --> 00:03:34.700 what was the purpose of this maze? 00:03:34.700 --> 00:03:40.900 But Minos would only smile and shrug. 00:03:40.900 --> 00:03:43.820 Eventually the palace was complete. 00:03:43.820 --> 00:03:50.620 It was a frowning fortress that struck terror into the hearts of everyone who beheld it. 00:03:50.620 --> 00:03:54.740 Daedalus asked for an audience with the king. 00:03:54.740 --> 00:03:57.070 ‘Now my work is over, 00:03:57.070 --> 00:03:59.830 I would like to return to Athens.’ 00:03:59.830 --> 00:04:04.780 Minos: ‘Oh! You can’t leave. 00:04:04.780 --> 00:04:07.010 I’ll pay you more. 00:04:07.010 --> 00:04:11.050 There are so many wonderful things I would have you make.’ 00:04:11.050 --> 00:04:13.440 ‘Thank you for your offer. 00:04:13.440 --> 00:04:17.870 But I prefer to return to the city of my birth.’ 00:04:17.870 --> 00:04:21.920 ‘Offer?’ said Minos. 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.670 ‘I made no offer. 00:04:25.670 --> 00:04:28.180 You cannot leave. 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:30.560 You know too much. 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:35.150 I can’t have you selling secrets to my enemies. 00:04:35.150 --> 00:04:43.890 So you will stay here until your death.’ 00:04:43.890 --> 00:04:46.570 When he returned to his mansion, 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:50.880 Daedalus looked at the beautiful murals painted on the walls, 00:04:50.880 --> 00:04:52.650 the fountains in the courtyard, 00:04:52.650 --> 00:04:57.380 and what he saw was a golden cage. 00:04:57.380 --> 00:05:02.720 He longed for the little house they had left in Athens. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:14.290 He found his son, on the roof as usual, flying his kite. 00:05:14.290 --> 00:05:16.130 In the months that followed, 00:05:16.130 --> 00:05:18.530 Daedalus became aware that, wherever he went, 00:05:18.530 --> 00:05:20.860 he was followed by soldiers. 00:05:20.860 --> 00:05:23.110 The soldiers, for their part, 00:05:23.110 --> 00:05:28.110 began to wonder if this great inventor had lost his mind: 00:05:28.110 --> 00:05:35.100 either he was staring at the sky or gathering fallen feathers. 00:05:35.100 --> 00:05:36.890 Early one morning, 00:05:36.890 --> 00:05:39.150 Daedalus shook Icarus awake. 00:05:39.150 --> 00:05:40.470 ‘Come with me!’ 00:05:40.470 --> 00:05:43.000 Upstairs they went, under the bright stars. 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:44.670 Daedalus lit a candle. 00:05:44.670 --> 00:05:51.630 Icarus saw four supple saplings covered in feathers. 00:05:51.630 --> 00:05:56.990 As Daedalus tied one on each of Icarus’ arms, he said, 00:05:56.990 --> 00:06:02.370 ‘Minos controls both land and sea but he cannot control the air. 00:06:02.370 --> 00:06:05.650 You and I will fly to freedom. 00:06:05.650 --> 00:06:07.100 Follow me! 00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:12.040 If you fly too high, the heat of the sun will melt the wax that binds feather to bark; 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:17.360 if you fly too low, the waves will splash against your wings and their sodden weight will drag you down. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:21.100 Ride the gusts I ride!’ 00:06:21.100 --> 00:06:23.710 Father and son embraced. 00:06:23.710 --> 00:06:27.090 They ran to the roof edge and leapt into the darkness. 00:06:27.090 --> 00:06:30.860 They beat their feathered arms against the air, 00:06:30.860 --> 00:06:36.480 and they rose, they rose into the cool sky. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:42.290 Every surging gust of wind made Icarus cry out with joy. 00:06:42.290 --> 00:06:46.080 Very soon they had left Crete far behind. 00:06:46.080 --> 00:06:49.640 The sweep of the broad sky was above him; 00:06:49.640 --> 00:06:52.870 the black sea was beneath. 00:06:52.870 --> 00:06:55.080 He saw a band of red ahead – 00:06:55.080 --> 00:06:56.570 day was coming. 00:06:56.570 --> 00:06:59.240 Island after island passed by beneath, 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:02.000 some no more than rocks jutting out of the sea, 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:05.480 some peopled with farms and fields. 00:07:05.480 --> 00:07:09.340 One man looked up, saw Icarus, gasped and fell. 00:07:09.340 --> 00:07:14.180 A ploughman in a field stopped, mid- furrow, and stood stock-still. 00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:17.310 A fisherman gaped like a carp. 00:07:17.310 --> 00:07:19.380 Was that a god? 00:07:19.380 --> 00:07:24.450 Icarus laughed at the little figures shouting, pointing, far below. 00:07:24.450 --> 00:07:26.720 A surge of wind lifted him higher. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:29.310 He lurched and a feather fell. 00:07:29.310 --> 00:07:31.690 He looked up to see the bird that had shed it; 00:07:31.690 --> 00:07:36.750 but above he saw only the fierce eye of the sun. 00:07:36.750 --> 00:07:40.300 A shower of feathers was fluttering now. 00:07:40.300 --> 00:07:45.270 Ahead, Daedalus looked back to check on the progress of Icarus 00:07:45.270 --> 00:07:54.320 and saw the boy tumbling, flailing, screaming, breaking against the ocean. 00:07:54.320 --> 00:07:58.540 Daedalus, cursing his cleverness, 00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:05.700 buried the boy’s body on a rocky island that was named after him. 00:08:05.700 --> 00:08:10.560 It is called Icaria.