File:The_Fall_of_Phaeton_Statue._Marble,_circa_1700-1711_CE._By_Dominique_Lefevre._From_Paris,_France._The_Victoria_and_Albert_Museum,_London.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Phaethon
Sign in to saveAlso known as Phaëton, Phaeton
Phaethon (; , ), also spelled Phaëthon, is the son of the Oceanid Clymene and the sun god Helios in Greek mythology.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Greek
- Deity.name
- Phaethon
- Deity.image
- The Fall of Phaeton Statue. Marble, circa 1700-1711 CE. By Dominique Lefevre. From Paris, France. The Victoria and Albert Museum, London.jpg
- Deity.caption
- The Fall of Phaeton Statue. Marble, by Dominique Lefèvre, from Paris, France, now at The Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- Deity.parents
- Helios and Clymene
- Deity.siblings
- The Heliades
- Deity.consort
- Cycnus (lover)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- GustaveMoreau04.jpg
Show 2 more facts
- Commons category
- Phaeton
- name in native language
- Φαέθων
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~42 min read
Article
26 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Family
- Mythology
- Homer and Hesiod
- The tragic poets
- Brief references to the myth of Phaethon
- Plato's ''Timaeus''
- Authors of the Hellenistic era
- Ovid
- Other late authors
- Phaethon as a legitimate offspring
- Mourning for Phaethon
- The mournful sisters
- The mournful lover
- Artistic evidence
- Connections
- Post-classical works
- Shared name
- Genealogy
- See also
- References
- Sources
- Greek
- Roman
- Secondary
- External links
Phaethon (; , ), also spelled Phaëthon, is the son of the Oceanid Clymene and the sun god Helios in Greek mythology.
According to most authors, Phaethon is the son of Helios who, out of a desire to have his parentage confirmed, travels to the sun god's palace in the east. He is recognised by his father and asks for the privilege of driving his chariot for a single day. Despite Helios' fervent warnings and attempts to dissuade him, counting the numerous dangers he would face in his celestial journey and reminding Phaethon that only he can control the horses, the boy is not dissuaded and does not change his mind. He is then allowed to take the chariot's reins; his ride is disastrous, as he cannot keep a firm grip on the horses. As a result, he drives the chariot too close to the Earth, burning it, and too far from it, freezing it.