Phaethon in the context of "Merope (Greek myth)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Phaethon

Phaethon (/ˈf.əθən/; Ancient Greek: Φαέθων, romanizedPhaéthōn, lit.'shiner', pronounced [pʰa.é.tʰɔːn]), 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.

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Phaethon in the context of Helios

In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Helios (/ˈhliəs, -ɒs/; Ancient Greek: Ἥλιος pronounced [hɛ̌ːlios], lit.'Sun'; Homeric Greek: Ἠέλιος) is the god who personifies the Sun. His name is also Latinized as Helius, and he is often given the epithets Hyperion ("the one above") and Phaethon ("the shining"). Helios is often depicted in art with a radiant crown and driving a horse-drawn chariot through the sky. He was a guardian of oaths and also the god of sight. Though Helios was a relatively minor deity in Classical Greece, his worship grew more prominent in late antiquity thanks to his identification with several major solar divinities of the Roman period, particularly Apollo and Sol. The Roman Emperor Julian made Helios the central divinity of his short-lived revival of traditional Roman religious practices in the 4th century AD.

Helios figures prominently in several works of Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, in which he is often described as the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia and brother of the goddesses Selene (the Moon) and Eos (the Dawn). Helios's most notable role in Greek mythology is the story of his mortal son Phaethon. In the Homeric epics, his most notable role is the one he plays in the Odyssey, where Odysseus's men despite his warnings impiously kill and eat Helios's sacred cattle that the god kept at Thrinacia, his sacred island. Once informed of their misdeed, Helios, in wrath, asks Zeus to punish those who wronged him, and Zeus, agreeing, strikes their ship with a thunderbolt, killing everyone except Odysseus himself, the only one who had not harmed the cattle and was allowed to live.

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Phaethon in the context of Aegle (mythology)

Aegle (Ancient Greek: Αἴγλη "brightness" or "dazzling light") is the name of several different figures in Greek mythology:

  • Aegle, one of the daughters of Asclepius. Her name is said to have derived from "Αἴγλη" ("Aegle"), meaning "Brightness," or "Splendor," either from the beauty of the human body when in good health, or from the honor paid to the medical profession.
  • Aegle, the most beautiful of the Naiads, daughter of Zeus and Neaera, by whom Helios begot the Charites.
  • Aegle, one of the Heliades, a sister of Phaeton, and daughter of Helios and Clymene. In her grief at the death of her brother she and her sisters were changed into poplars.
  • Aegle, one of the Hesperides.
  • Aegle, another name of Coronis, daughter of Phlegyas and lover of Apollo.
  • Aegle, was a daughter of Panopeus, the Phocian hero. She was said to be one who was beloved by Theseus, and for whom he forsook Ariadne.
  • Aegle, nurse of Dionysus
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Phaethon in the context of Clymene (mythology)

In Greek mythology, the name Clymene or Klymene (/ˈklɪmɪn, ˈkl-/; Ancient Greek: Κλυμένη Kluménē 'fame') may refer to:

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Phaethon in the context of Merope (mythology)

Merope (/ˈmɛrəp/; Ancient Greek: Μερόπη, romanizedMerópē, lit.'with her face turned', derived from μέρος meros "part" and ὤψ ops "face, eye") was originally the name of several characters in Greek mythology.

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Phaethon in the context of Clymene (mother of Phaethon)

In Greek and Roman mythology, Clymene or Klymene (/ˈklɪmɪn, ˈkl-/; Ancient Greek: Κλυμένη, romanizedKluménē, lit.'renowned') is an Oceanid nymph who was loved by the sun-god Helios and became the mother by him of Phaethon and the Heliades. In most versions, Clymene is the one to reveal to Phaethon his divine parentage and encourage him to seek out his father, and even drive his solar chariot to catastrophic results.

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Phaethon in the context of Phaethontis quadrangle

The Phaethontis quadrangle is one of a series of 30 quadrangle maps of Mars used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Research Program. The Phaethontis quadrangle is also referred to as MC-24 (Mars Chart-24).

The name comes from Phaethon, the son of Helios.

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Phaethon in the context of Clymenus

In Greek mythology, Clymenus (/ˈklɪmɪnəs/; Ancient Greek: Κλύμενος, romanizedKlúmenos means "notorious" or "renowned") may refer to multiple individuals:

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Phaethon in the context of Cycnus

In Greek mythology, several characters were known as Cycnus (Ancient Greek: Κύκνος) or Cygnus. The literal meaning of the name is "swan", and accordingly most of them ended up being transformed into swans.

According to Pseudo-Eratosthenes and Hyginus' Poetical Astronomy, the constellation Cygnus was the stellar image of the swan Zeus had transformed into in order to seduce Leda or Nemesis. Pausanias and Servius state that Apollo turned Cycnus of Liguria into a swan after the death of his lover Phaeton, then later placed him among the stars as the constellation Cygnus.

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