Phaethon was said to be the son of the Greek Sun God, Helios. To confirm his parentage, he travelled east to India because it lay directly in the path of sunrise. He approached the Sun’s grand palace, stood before Helios’s diamond-studded throne and asked him to confirm that he was his son. Helios accepted him as a son and also granted him a boon.
Without thinking for a second, Phaethon asked to be allowed to drive Sun’s chariot for a day. Helios immediately repented granting the boon and tried to convince Phaethon that what he was asking was beyond any mortal. He told him of the dangers of driving that chariot, but Phaethon was adamant. Finally, Helios had to grant his wish.
When the early dawn threw open the purple doors of the east and the night stars withdrew, Helios ordered the horses to be harnessed. While setting the rays on Phaethon’s head, Helios made one more attempt to dissuade him. Seeing that Phaethon would not listen, Helios warned him not to go too high or too low, else the earth and the skies would not receive their due share of heat and light.
The young Phaethon sprang into the chariot and grasped the reins. When the horses darted forward, they found the chariot to be much lighter than usual due to the absence of Helios. They left their everyday path and rushed headlong towards the stars. The Great Bear, the Little Bear and the other constellations of stars were scorched with heat and would have plunged into the sea, were it possible. Phaethon was alarmed but had no clue how to control the horses. When he looked at the earth, so far beneath him, he grew pale with fear and his knees started shaking. He didn’t know whether to draw the reins tight or to throw them loose. He forgot the names of the horses.
The horses feeling unrestrained headed down towards the earth. The clouds began to smoke and the mountaintops caught fire. The fields were parched and the plants withered. The seas shrank and the fishes sought refuge in the lower depths. The Earth was overcome by heat and prayed to Zeus for relief. Zeus launched his thunderbolt at Phaethon, bringing his misadventure to an end. When embarking on something new, it is better to take a moment to think about the consequences and risks before starting, than to begin immediately and regret it later.