PHAETHON (son of Helios)

Phaethon made great boasts and did not yield to Epaphus, who accused him of believing his mother's claims about his father.³ Struck by shame, he remained silent and later told his mother Clymene about the insults he had received.⁸ He embraced his mother's neck and begged her to confirm his divine parentage using sacred oaths.⁸ Clymene encouraged him to travel to his father's dwelling to verify his parentage.⁴ He leapt up joyfully after hearing her words and mentally traveled to the heavens, passing his Æthiopians toward his father's rising point.⁹

Phaethon visited the Sun's palace, which is contiguous to Clymene's regions.^4,2 He refused his father's warnings and insisted on driving the sun chariot, which his father eventually led him to after delaying as long as possible.^1,10 Phaethon admired the chariot's gold and silver construction while examining it.¹⁰ The Hours yoked the fiery horses to the chariot at the father's command.¹⁰ His mortal strength was deemed insufficient to control the fiery horses.¹¹ He became alarmed and unable to control the horses, which he did not know the names of, and they ranged at large after he released the reins.¹² The horses dragged the chariot through pathless places in the sky.^12,13

Phaethon looked down from the sky and grew pale with sudden terror.¹² He beheld strange objects and forms of huge wild beasts, including the Scorpion wet with black venom and threatening wounds.¹² Stupefied, he could neither let go nor retain the reins.¹² He was driven along like a ship whose pilot gave up the helm.¹² Phaethon wished he had never touched his father's horses and desired to be called the son of Merops instead.¹² He regretted knowing his descent and prevailing in his request.¹²

Zeus struck Phaethon with a thunderbolt out of indignation.^1,14 He was struck on the chest by a fiery bolt.^15,16 Phaethon fell headlong through the air while flames consumed his yellow hair, causing the earth to appear to burn and black smoke to fill the air.^5,17 The horses turned aside and set the heavens on fire, creating the Milky Way, while the scorching rays burned up parts of the inhabited earth.¹ His body fell into the Eridanus river, far from his native land, where steam rises from the water's surface to mark the location of his fall.^15,5 Phaethon was killed by a lightning bolt that threw him from the Sun's chariot into the river Eridanus, where his body continues to burn, causing the river to emit heavy steam and noxious fumes.^15,5 Clymene searched the earth for Phaëton's remains and found his bones buried.¹⁸ Phaethon's sisters wept into the Eridanus, which also bathed his foaming face, and lay scattered about his tomb while mourning his death.^19,5,18 Clymene wept over the name inscribed on Phaëton's marble tomb, where the Hesperian Naiads inscribed a verse describing his failed attempt.¹⁸ Cycnus, related to Phaëton through his mother, was present when the event occurred and mourned him beneath the shade of the transformed sisters, singing a mournful song to soothe his grief.^20,21 Phaethon's father, Helios, expressed resentment and sorrow over his son's situation, complaining that his labor was endless and without honor.²² He claims the boy did not deserve death for failing to guide the horses and suggests Zeus should drive the chariot to understand the difficulty.²² The Sun God created amber to honor his son Phaethon.²³