Phaethon's Fateful Flight

Each morning, Helios embarked on his celestial voyage, harnessing his winged horses and steering his golden chariot across the sky. As the Sun God transformed the dawn into the radiant blooms of day, he cast his thoughts upon those dwelling far below. Years earlier, he had fallen in love with Clymene, a water nymph. Together, they bore seven daughters and one son named Phaethon.

Yet, Helios possessed a wandering eye, and Clymene eventually departed, taking their children with her to marry King Merops of Ethiopia. When Phaethon was young, Clymene regaled him with tales of his divine father, instilling in him a profound sense of pride in his celestial lineage.

However, one day, Epaphus, a peer of Phaethon and the son of Zeus, aimed to quell his arrogance by sowing doubt about his true parentage. Unable to prove his lineage beyond a doubt, Phaethon grew plagued by uncertainty. If not the son of Helios, who was he? Confronting Clymene, he sought the truth, and she adamantly affirmed that his father was the mighty Sun God. Nonetheless, doubt still gripped Phaethon's heart. To dispel his uncertainty, Clymene sent him on a journey to confront Helios himself.

Walking eastward, Phaethon finally arrived at the resplendent palace of the Sun God. As his eyes adjusted to the brilliance, he beheld Helios' radiant smile and welcoming embrace. Expressing his skepticism, Phaethon yearned for irrefutable proof of their connection. In response, the Sun God's smile only brightened, and he granted Phaethon a single wish to dispel his doubts.

Immersed in the luminous glow of Helios, Phaethon felt that driving his father's chariot for a day would conclusively demonstrate their bond to the world and to himself. However, the Sun God's smile faded. Piloting the chariot required masterful control, hurtling through space at breathtaking speeds, with the slightest error capable of cataclysmic consequences. Even Zeus himself held reservations about driving the chariot. Helios implored Phaethon to reconsider, but his resolve remained unyielding. Resolute, Phaethon prepared for his audacious journey.

With a crack of the reins, Phaethon embarked on his flight. In the skies, his mortal insecurities dissolved, consumed by the exhilaration of the moment. Yet, the reins soon slipped from his inexperienced hands. Unaccustomed to the weight of a mortal, the fiery horses ascended higher and higher, the chariot whirling past constellations, narrowly avoiding Scorpio's pincers and Sagittarius' arrow. With the Sun drifting far from the Earth, darkness descended, and the seas crackled and froze. Alarmed, Phaethon yanked the reins in desperation. The horses jolted, and the chariot careened toward the Earth's surface. Lakes boiled, and forests ignited as Phaethon struggled to regain control, leaving desolation in his wake.

Atop Mount Olympus, the gods were gripped by panic. Zeus foresaw a catastrophic crash that would engulf the Earth in flames. He flung one of his mighty thunderbolts at Phaethon, causing the horses to bolt, leaving the young man suspended in the heavens for a fleeting moment before hurtling down into the river Eridanus, never to resurface. Phaethon's sorrowful sisters gathered on the riverbank, gradually transforming into poplar trees, their tears forming precious amber droplets that mingled with the water.

Zeus mended the Earth and immortalized Phaethon's memory, adorning the heavens with his likeness. Overwhelmed by grief, Helios initially withdrew from the sky. However, he eventually returned, and every day thereafter, as he raced across the celestial expanse, he greeted his fallen son. The constellation known as "Auriga," or "the charioteer," stands as a poignant reminder of the young man who dared to harness powers beyond his grasp, forever commemorating his ill-fated quest.

Henrik Leandro