Daidalos and the origins of Greek art

Abstract

Daidalos, the legendary builder of the Cretan labyrinth and maker of Icarus' wings, was adopted by Athenians as a local hero after their defeat of Persia and came to symbolize superlative craftsmanship throughout Greece. In this approach to ancient Greek culture, Sarah Morris invokes as a paradigm the myths surrounding Daidalos to describe the profound influence of the Near East on Greece's artistic and literary origins. Her broad focus on the Mediterranean world combined with her interdisciplinary approach allows for new insights into a wide range of topics, including the meaning of myth, sculpture, the evolution of the alphabet, Homeric poetics and Attic drama.