Ovid Metamorphoses, VIII: Daedalus and Icarus Translation

Icarus' wings break apart due to the heat of the sun while Daedalus watches in horror As we shift into working with poetry, Ovid feels like a great point of entry. Ovid wrote stories about famous myths, contextualizing them as stories about change (metamorphosis). Not that we can guarantee this, but almost everyone interested in classics is passingly familiar with the stories of Ovid: from Pyramus and Thisbe to Pygmalion and his living statue, these stories have seeped into modern cultural contexts.

We begin with one of the most famous: Daedalus and Icarus. In this story, Ovid captures two sides of the human condition: the desire to break our natural bonds and the devastation of loss.

Image note: Peter Paul Rubens, a Flemish painter, painted this depiction of Daedalus and Icarus in 1636 CE. After reading the story below, return to this portrait: how accurate is Rubens' depiction of events from the story? If it is not accurate, why do you think he took the liberties he did?

Optional Reading

You should already be reading through Vergil's Aeneid in translation, but it is always useful to have the context when you are reading and translating Latin. Please download Ovid's Metamorphoses in translation. It is optional to read through this text, but you may find the stories quite enjoyable, and reading through a few of them will give you a window into Ovid's style and storytelling patterns.

Accessibility note: this PDF does not fully meet modern standards of accessibility. If you use a screen reader, you may still be able to use this document, though there could be issues. If you are having trouble, you may need to seek an alternative resource such as:

This text comes from an online resource called Poetry In Translation, which has web-based versions of the text. These online texts are published according to web accessibility standards.
Search for an audiobook edition of the translated text. The website Libri Vox has several free audiobooks.

Translation Notes

You'll notice that this passage contains a handful of notes on vocabulary and usage. Please use these extra notes to complete an accurate literal translation of this passage in your notebook.

You will also notice that the text now includes macrons (long marks) over long vowels. As we learned in the scansion lessons, these long marks are a necessary part for the proper recitation and scansion of poetry.

Ovid Metamorphoses, VIII: Daedalus and Icarus (Lines 183-235)

Daedalus intereā Crētēn longumque perōsus

exilium, tactusque locī nātālis amōre,

clausus erat pelagō. “Terrās licet,” inquit, “et undās 185

obstruat, at caelum certē patet. Ībimus illāc!

Omnia possideat, nōn possidet āera Mīnōs.”

Dīxit et ignōtās animum dīmittit in artēs

nātūramque novat. Nam pōnit in ōrdine pennās

ā minimā coeptās, longam breviōre sequentī, 190

ut clīvō crēvisse putēs (sīc rūstica quondam

fistula disparibus paulātim surgit avēnīs).

Tum līnō mediās et cērīs alligat īmās

atque ita compositās parvō curvāmine flectit,

ut vērās imitētur avēs. Puer Īcarus ūnā 195

stābat et, ignārus sua sē tractāre perīcla,

ōre renīdentī modo, quās vaga mōverat aura,

captābat plūmās, flāvam modo pollice cēram

mollībat, lūsūque suō mīrābile patris

impediēbat opus. Postquam manus ultima coeptō 200

inposita est, geminās opifex lībrāvit in ālās ipse

suum corpus mōtāque pependit in aurā.

Īnstruit et nātum, “Medio”que, “ut līmite currās,

Īcare,” ait, “moneō, nē, si dēmissior ībis,

unda gravet pennās, si celsior, ignis adūrat. 205

Inter utrumque volā! Nec tē spectāre Boōtēn

aut Helicēn iubeō strīctumque Ōrīonis ēnsem.

Mē duce carpe viam!” Pariter praecepta volandī

trādit et ignōtās umerīs accommodat ālās.

Inter opus monitūsque genae maduēre senīlēs, 210

et patriae tremuēre manūs. Dedit ōscula nātō

nōn iterum repetenda suō, pennīsque levātus

ante volat comitīque timet, velut āles ab altō

quae teneram prōlem prōdūxit in āera nīdō.

Hortāturque sequī, damnōsāsque ērudit artēs 215

et movet ipse suās et nātī respicit ālās.

Hōs aliquis, tremulā dum captat harundine piscēs,

aut pāstor baculō stīvāve innīxus arātor

vīdit et obstipuit, quīque aethera carpere possent,

crēdidit esse deōs. Et iam Iūnōnia laevā 220

parte Samos (fuerant Dēlosque Parosque relictae),

dextra Lebinthos erat fēcundaque melle Calymnē,

cum puer audācī coepit gaudēre volātū dēseruitque

ducem, caelīque cupīdine tractus,

altius ēgit iter. Rapidī vīcīnia sōlis 225

mollit odōrātās, pennārum vincula, cērās.

Tābuerant cērae: nūdōs quatit ille lacertōs,

rēmigiōque carēns nōn ūllās percipit aurās,

ōraque caeruleā patrium clāmantia nōmen

excipiuntur aquā, quae nōmen trāxit ab illō. 230

At pater īnfēlīx, nec iam pater, “Īcare,” dīxit,

“Īcare,” dixit, “ubi es? Quā tē regiōne requīram?”

“Īcare,” dīcēbat. Pennās aspexit in undīs,

dēvōvitque suās artēs, corpusque sepulcrō

condidit; et tellūs ā nōmine dicta sepultī. 235

Notes By Line Number

183-195
196-207
208-220
221-235

Lines 183-195:

Crētē, Crētēs, acc. Crētēn (Greek) f. = Crete
licet with subjunctive = granted that
obstruat – Minos is the subject.
possideat subjunctive with licet (line 186)
dimitto + in = devote (something) to
pennās coeptās ā minimā [pennā], breviōre [pennā] sequenti [each] longam [pennam]
clīvus, -ī = slope: Supply in with clīvō here.
supply “them” (feathers) with crēvisse = to have grown (perfect active infinitive)
tum līno [alligat] mediās [pennās] et cērīs alligat īmās [pennās] alligō = ad + ligo
cēra, -ae = wax (note poetic plural here)
The feathers were fastened at the middles with twine, at the bottoms (the quills) with wax.

Lines 196-207:

sē tractāre – acc. and infinitive in an indirect statement with ignārus, lit. unaware himself to handle
perīcla = perīcula (contracted)
molliō, -īre, -ī(v)ī, -ītus = soften
mollībat – an old form of molliēbat
manus ultima = the final touch
Boōtēs, Boōtae, acc., Boōtēn, m. = the constellation Boötes, the “Bear Keeper”
Helicē, Helicēs, acc. Helicēn, f. = the constellation Ursa Major, the “Great Bear”
mē duce – ablative absolute

208-220:

volandī – gerund
repetenda – gerundive

221-235:

Samos, Samī, f. = Samos – an island northeast of Crete
- There was a famous temple of Juno on Samos.
Dēlos, Dēlī, f. = Delos – an island north of Crete
Paros, Parī, f. = Paros – an island north of Crete
Lebinthos, Lebinthī, f. = Lebinthos – an island off the coast of Asia Minor
Calymnē, Calymnēs, f. = Calymne – another island off the coast of Asia Minor
dicta – supply est

Practice Questions: Ovid's Daedalus and Icarus - Content Review

Instead of a short practice quiz based on your reading comprehension, please download the Ovid Daedalus and Icarus Latin Text handout. Read through the text again, then complete the questions in the handout.

[CC BY-NC-SA 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION - INTENDED ONLY FOR USE WITHIN LESSON.