Both Daedalus and Icarus were imprisoned by the king of Crete, King Minos. Daedalus build the palace of Minos and the Labyrinth where the Minotaur stood guard. King Minos didn't want Daedalus to build any bigger or better structures anywhere else and so kept him prisoner in Knossos.

In order to escape Daedalus constructed two sets of wings made of feathers and wax. During their flight to Athens, Icarus was taken with the view and started to fly higher, against his father's advice. Soon Icarus went too close to the sun and the wax started to melt and so he fell to his death near the island of Dolichi. Soon after the name of the island was changed to Icaria, where Icarus was buried, and the sea became Ikario Pelago.

It's hard to say if Icarus flew higher because:

he wanted to get a better view, or

he was trying to show off as many youths would.

It seems that Icarus was tempted by something and so he flew higher, something that was not wise considering his situation. Icarus could have ignored the temptation and just followed his father to Athens, but he chose not to and he paid for his choice with his death.

Ikarus Story

Island-of-Crete.net: Mythology

Daedallus & Icarus on Paragliding server

Art Gallery dedicated to Ikaros (Icarus) & Daedalus(Daedalos)

The Myth of Daedalus& Icarus