Phaethon & the Chariot of the Sun

The Constellation Scorpius, the Scorpion, Claims a Victim

Jul 21, 2007

In Greek mythology Phaethon is indirectly killed by Scorpius, the scorpion, when he tries to drive the Sun's chariot across the sky.

Scorpius and Orion

In ancient Greek mythology, A scorpion sting felled Orion, the mighty hunter and warrior. They were both given an honored place in the sky as the constellations Orion and Scorpius, where the scorpion perpetually chases but never catches the hunter.

Phaethon

Orion was however not the only ancient mythological hero to fall victim to the scorpion. The scorpion did not sting Phaethon and kill him directly, but it nevertheless caused his death.

In Greek mythology Phaethon was the son of a mortal woman, Clymene, and the Sun god. His mother told Phaethon that he was the son of the Sun, but the young man had to be sure.

One day Phaethon went to visit the Sun to ask. The Sun assured Phaethon that he was the boy's father. To prove it he promised to grant him anything he wished and swore an oath by the Styx that he would keep the promise.

Phaethon asked to drive the Sun's chariot across the sky one day. Prior to the rise of scientific explanations, ancient myths from many cultures explained the Sun's daily westward motion across the sky with the Sun god's daily chariot ride across the sky. The Sun tried to dissuade Phaethon because not even the gods could control the Sun's fiery chariot over its very difficult daily journey. Phaethon was however not easily discouraged. Like many young boys he had often dreamed of being like his father one day, so he insisted that the Sun keep his promise. The Sun was bound by his oath and had to allow his son to ride to his doom.

Phaethon's Fatal Ride

Phaethon set out early one morning to drive the Sun's chariot on its daily journey. As his father feared, Phaethon lost control of the chariot when the scorpion scared the horses. Plunging down, the Sun's searing heat set Mother Earth on fire. She cried out to the gods for help. The king of the gods fired a thunderbolt and killed Phaethon to save Earth. Burning, he fell into the river Eridanus that extinguished the flames.

Eridanus was a legendary river that had never been seen by human eyes; in the sky it is a faint constellation, still difficult, but not impossible, for human eyes to see. In the sky, Eridanus begins near Orion's feet.

Indirectly the scorpion claimed another victim. Phaethon failed in his attempt, but he was still a hero because he tried to do something that was too difficult for even the gods. Even if only briefly, he drove the Sun's chariot. His epitaph read:

"Here Phaethon lies who drove the Sun-god's car.

Greatly he failed, but he had greatly dared."