So they started forth, the founders of a new race, throwing the stones and rocks which they met over their shoulders and out of sight. From the stones which they cast there sprang up living men and women; the stones which Deukalion threw became men and those which Pyrrha cast became women.
Deukalion and Pyrrha had many children. One of their sons was called Hellen. Hellen’s children and grandchildren spread over Greece and were called Hellenes, and they gave the name Hellas to Greece.
CHAPTER XXXVI
DÆDALOS, A HERO OF INVENTION
Dædalos was a native of Athens and descended from one of the most ancient kings of Attica. It was he who constructed the labyrinth in which King Minos of Crete locked up the monster Minotaur. Dædalos was the greatest artist of his time and was master of many useful crafts. He produced wonderful pieces of work in a great many places of the world.
His statues were so cleverly made that they were taken for living beings. It was thought that they could see and walk about. For while the artists before him sculptured their statues with closed eyes, with their hands crossed over their breasts, and their feet turned sidewise, Dædalos made statues with open eyes, outstretched arms, and feet pointing forward into space.
Dædalos had Talos for a disciple, a clever and intelligent youth, who, though but a mere boy, had invented several tools of great usefulness. One day, finding the jaw-bone of a snake he began to cut a piece of wood with it. It was hardly sharp enough to answer his purpose, so he constructed a saw of iron on the same plan.
Dædalos was so jealous of the boy that he pushed him off from the Acropolis and the lad died of the injury. When Dædalos saw what he had done he went to Talos, but found him dead, so he hurried to bury him. He was surprised in the act and brought before the court which met on the hill called Areopagus. He was condemned to death by the court, and in order to save himself he fled to Crete.
At that time Minos was king in Crete. He received the famous artist very kindly and held him in great honor. There Dædalos did many fine works for Minos besides the famous labyrinth for the Minotaur.
After he had stayed some time in Crete he wanted to go away. But Minos did not wish to let him go, and when Dædalos concealed himself, the king searched for him everywhere and gave the order that no ship should take him away from the island.
The ingenious Dædalos then meditated a plan of flight. Suddenly he exclaimed, “Minos may watch the sea and the land, but he cannot watch the air. That is still free. I will make me wings and fly away.”