#king minos
Talos
Talos was a colossal automaton of bronze in ancient Greek mythology who was tasked with the protection of Europa, mother to King Minos. Talos diligently patrolled the perimeter of the island of Crete three times daily, hurling volleys of boulders at any would-be invaders brave enough to stray close. Whilst attempting to land the Argo upon the shores of the island, the sorceress Medea vanquished Talos by casting a spell that drove him to madness, causing him to pluck out the bronze nail from the vein that ran from his ankle to his neck, draining the molten ichor that gave him animation.
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Minotaur
The ancient Cretan Minotaur was a ravenous monstrosity who could only be sated with human flesh. At the behest of King Minos of Crete, a giant labyrinth was constructed to contain the man-bull. Athenian boys and girls were sacrificed to the Minotaur every nine years as tithe and tribute to the Cretan kingdom for a lost war. The Athenian hero Theseus eventually took it upon himself to traverse the Minotaur’s maze and slay the man-bull in order to stop the cycle of sacrifice.
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Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths
Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths
Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths by W.H. Matthews
Humans have long been fascinated by structures that pack the maximum amount of path in a small space, and those that create a puzzle to move through to find a center or exit. This 1922 book was the first major work in English to take a thorough look at the history and locations of mazes and labyrinths.
The author mentions in the introduction…
Ἴκαρος
Ikaroswas the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth of King Minos. Ikaros and Daedalus attempt to escape from Crete so Daedalus fashioned two pairs of wings out of wax and feathers for himself and his son. Before trying to escape the island, he warned his son not to fly too close to the sun, nor too close to the sea, but to follow his path of flight. Icarus ignores Daedalus’s instructions not to fly too close to the sun, causing the wax in his wings to melt. He tumbles out of the sky, falls into the sea, and drowns. Daedalus wept for his son and called the nearest land Icaria in memory of him.
George Frederic Watts - The Minotaur - (1885)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frederic_Watts
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