Daedalus Icarus' wings, Daedalus is portrayed assisting in the creation of something that has subsequent negative consequences, in this case with his creation of the monstrous Minotaur's almost impenetrable Labyrinth, which made slaying the beast an endeavour of legendary difficulty. The most familiar literary telling explaining Daedalus' wings is a late one, that of Ovid: in his "Metamorphoses" (VIII:183–235) Daedalus was shut up in a tower to prevent the knowledge of his Labyrinth from spreading to the public. He could not leave Crete by sea, as the king kept a strict watch on all vessels, permitting none to sail without being
Daedalus Erechtheus, claiming that Daedalus fled to Crete after killing his nephew Talos. Over time, other stories were told of Daedalus. Some Greeks claimed to be descendants of Daedalus. People in ancient Greece often believed that their family was descended from mythical characters, though it is likely these characters were seen as historical rather than fictional. The Greek philosopher Socrates claimed to be a descendant of Daedalus in at least three of Plato's books: "Euthyphro", "Alcibaides", and "Meno". In "Euthyphro," Socrates says, "Your statements, Euthyphro, seem to belong to my ancestor, Daedalus." In "Alcibaides", Socrates says, "And mine, noble Alcibiades, to