Icarus was not the only legendary extreme angel seeker who dreamed of heaven in those times.
The nomad Jacob, while fretting over the family feud with his brother resulting from his weasely behavior, famously wrestles with an angel in a dream: and while unlike Icarus, he does not perish, he is left forever lame after the angel wounds his leg muscle permanently.
This painting is from Reuvin Rubin.

These days the quest for heaven is more likely to end up in a sea of sadness than a literal sea.
We have become psychologically sophisticated, but not necessarily happier.
In fact, the word "boredom" seems to have originated in the past few hundred years.
And the rise of mental illness is no secret, or shouldn't be if we could get over our shame and fear.
For example, the movie "jacob's ladder" is described not with reference to the desert patriarch but instead, the descent into insanity of a person returning from the vietnam war.BAPTISTRY DOORS