Page:History of Greece Vol I.djvu/257

 DEATH OF MINOS IN SICILY. 225 himself and for his son Ikarus, with which they flew over the sea : the father arrived safely in Sicily at Kamikus, the residence of the Sikanian king Kokalus, but the son, disdaining paternal example and admonition, flew so high that his wings were melted by the sun and he fell into the sea, which from him was called the Ikarian sea. 1 Daedalus remained for some time in Sicily, leaving in various parts of the island many prodigious evidences of mechanical and architectural skill. 2 At length Minos bent upon regaining posses- sion of his person, undertook an expedition against Kokalus with a numerous fleet and army. Kokalus affecting readiness to de- liver up the fugitive, and receiving Minos with apparent friend- ship, ordered a bath to be prepared for him by his three daugh ters, who, eager to protect Daedalus at any price, drowned the Kretan king in the bath with hot water. 3 Many of the Kretans who had accompanied him remained in Sicily and founded the town of Minoa, which they denominated after him. But not long afterwards Zeus roused all the inhabitants of Krete (except the towns of Polichna and Praesus) to undertake with one accord an expedition against Kamikus for the purpose of avenging the death of Minos. They besieged Kamikus in vain for five years, until at last famine compelled them to return. On their way along the coast of Italy, in the Gulf of Tarentum, a terrible storm destroyed their fleet and obliged them to settle perma- nently in the country : they founded Hyria with other cities, and became Messapian lapygians. Other settlers, for the most part Greeks, immigrated into Krete to the spots which this movement 1 Diodor. iv. 79 ; Ovid, Metamorph. viii. 181. Both Ephorus and Philis- tus mentioned the coming of Daedalus to Kokalus in Sicily (Ephor. Fr. 99 ; Philist. Fragm. 1, Didot) : probably Antiochus noticed it also (Diodor. xii. 71 ). Kokalus was the point of commencement for the Sicilian historians. 8 Diodor. iv. 80. 3 Pausan. vii. 4, 5 ; Schol. Pindar. Nem. iv. 95 ; Hygin. fab. 44 ; Conon Narr. 25 ; Ovid. Ibis, 291. I; Vel tua maturet, sicut Minoia fata, Per caput infuste fervidus humor aquae." This sijiy formed the subject of a lost drama of Sophokles, KapiKiot, tst Mivuf ; it was also told by Kallimachus, iv AiTtoif, as well as by Philns**- onanus CScho 1 . Iliad, ii. 145). TOL. 1. 10* 150C.