Random thought on an ancient tale

So we have all heard the tale of Icarus and his father Daedalus who made wax wings and flew and during the ill fated flight Icarus got too close to the sun and melted his wings to fall to his death. This story has always seemed a little off to me and its recent mention in one of the books I have been reading made me think of it again.

Do you really think that the people in ancient history didn't notice that when they climbed the mountain passes and hills around where ever they may have lived that it got colder the higher they went? I know that there have been many strange beliefs through out the history of man, from the world being flat to some woman sitting with a crystal ball can tell you your future, but this one strikes me as a little too stupid. Though I can believe that with it just being a story in the massive legends of the Greek gods and all of the impossible powers and deeds that they embodied. I just think that many of the other tales had some basis in truth however obscure and this one which is also told to be that Icarus fell out of a ship that Daedalus built is strange. And if the truth is that it's based off of someone falling overboard, why was is changed to flying with wax wings?

Thats it for this random thought.