He warned Icarus not to fly too high toward the sun and not too low over the sea , but instead to follow a safe middle path so his wings would not be destroyed.

The Warning in the Myth

In the Greek myth, Daedalus makes wings of feathers and wax so he and his son Icarus can escape captivity. Before they take off, he gives Icarus strict instructions about how to fly safely.

  • Do not fly too close to the sun, or the heat will melt the wax in the wings.
  • Do not fly too close to the sea, or the moisture will weigh down the feathers.
  • Stay in the “middle way,” avoiding both dangerous extremes.

What Happened to Icarus

Icarus becomes overconfident and ignores this warning, flying higher and higher toward the sun. The wax melts, his feathers fall away, and he plunges into the sea and dies, turning the warning into a tragic lesson about hubris and the danger of ignoring limits.