Daedalus Daedalus, and he to Hephaestus, son of Zeus." This suggests that Daedalus was related to Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths, and therefore to Zeus himself. Daedalus is first mentioned by Homer as the creator of a wide dancing-ground for Ariadne. He also created the Labyrinth on Crete, in which the Minotaur (part man, part bull) was kept. In the story of the labyrinth as told by the Hellenes, the Athenian hero Theseus is challenged to kill the Minotaur, finding his way with the help of Ariadne's thread. Daedalus' appearance in Homer is in an extended metaphor, "plainly not Homer's invention",
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