Galaxy/The codex of Cocalus

In Greek mythology, Cocalus (Kṓkalos) is a Sicilian king — usually of Camicus (or, in Pausanias, associated with Inycus) — who sheltered Daedalus after Icarus's fall. When Minos tracked the craftsman with a spiral-shell riddle, Cocalus concealed his guest, then (with his daughters, or through Daedalus) killed the Cretan king in the bath with boiling water.

Adapted from Wikipedia, "Cocalus" · CC BY-SA 4.0

I.Host of Daedalus

After escaping Crete, Daedalus landed in Sicily and found protection under Cocalus. Ovid has the king raise an army for his guest; Apollodorus places the refuge at Camicus. Minos hunted city to city with a challenge: thread a spiral shell end to end — a feat only Daedalus could manage.

Cocalus took the shell and secretly gave it to Daedalus, who used an ant bearing a thread. Minos knew his quarry was at Camicus and demanded surrender.

II.Death of Minos

Promising to hand Daedalus over, Cocalus entertained Minos; after the bath the Cretan king was undone — Apollodorus and Hyginus credit Cocalus's daughters (scalding water), while some summaries name Daedalus as the killer. Herodotus knows Minos died violently in Sicania while seeking Daedalus; Pausanias links Cocalus's refusal to a Sicilian–Cretan war.

The atlas id cocalus-sicily is this Sicilian host, not later historical or zoological uses of the name.

AT A GLANCE

Greek nameKōkalos (Κώκαλος)
Typehero
Domainsking of Camicus · host of Daedalus
Symbolsspiral seashell · bath / boiling water
Cult centersCamicus (Sicily) · Inycus (Pausanias)
EtymologyAncient Greek Κώκαλος (Kṓkalos); the name is also used for a genus of jumping spiders, unrelated to the mythic king.
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