Greek mythology contains many fascinating stories that have relevance and significance today.
The story of Phaethon (sometimes spelled without the second h, Phaeton):
Phaethon was a young man who felt embarrassed and humiliated because he was illegitimate and did not know who his father was.
His mother loved him and he also had sisters who loved him too, but this was not enough for him.
One day he asked his mother Clymene what his father's name was?
His mother told Phaethon who his father was!
Clymene told him his father was the Sun God, Helios (Apollo)!
Excited by the thought that the great God of the Sun was his father, Phaethon went to see Helios and told him what his mother has said. Helios had not known he had a son by Clymene and was pleased and proud to discover that he was Phaethon's father.
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Phaethon was excited to know that the powerful God of the Sun was his father and wanted everyone to know the truth.
He wanted to ride his father's chariot across the skies. He thought that in doing so it would prove his own importance.
Helio's horses were very wild and would only obey Helios. The horses breathed fire and the chariot glowed red hot! As a result, the horses charged across the sky, out of control, which brought great destruction upon the Earth.
Zeus acted to see the danger and decided to intervene, in order to save the Earth. Zeus threw a thunderbolt at Phaethon killing him in the act, but saving the entire planet and millions of people and all life on Earth.
Helios mourned the loss of his son and blamed Zeus for Phaethon's death. However, Zeus explained that this was the only way to save the planet and eventually Helios agreed that Zeus had no choice.
This story is highly symbolic and can be viewed as a tale of caution, a metaphor for modern people today as well. Sometimes, people seek great power, but without sufficient education, wisdom, skill, and knowledge, power can be very destructive in the hands of the wrong people.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), one of the greatest masters of the 17th century, painted this masterpiece as a young artist in Rome. "The Fall of Phaeton"
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All photos and content is originally created by @Supernova55
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