In the Greek Mythology, Phaéton or Phaéthon (in Greek old Φαέθων / Phaéthôn , “the brilliance”) is the son of Hélios and the Océanide Clymène (or Mérope according to the authors).

Myth

Presumptuous, he liked to praise his divine origins until one puts it at the challenge to give the proof. He thus joined the Door of the Sun to find his father there. This one promised to him to grant any of its wishes to him. He then asked him to let it drive his luminous tank for one day. Bound by the promise made in the name of the Styx, Hélios could only honor it. But the tank, drawn by impetuous horses cannot, in theory, being controlled by a mortal. Photogravure tried, in vain, to dissuade his/her son to try to lead it.

In spite of that, Phaéton took the reins all the same and could not succeed in wrongly carrying out it in a correct way, this one sailing and through, sowing the disorder on its passage, threatening to destroy the universe. Indicator this disorder, Zeus struck down Phaéton in order to avoid other damage, the tank was destroyed and the hero precipitated in the river Éridan where it perishes there.

By cry its death, his/her sisters the Héliades were transformed into Peuplier S and his/her brother of blood Cycnos metamorphosed in swan.

Artistic evocations

• Jean-Baptiste Lully composed a lyric Tragédie entitled Phaéton ;

• Camille Saint-Saëns also composed a Symphonic poem named Phaéton .

Sources

• (V, 17).

• (CLII; CLIV).
• (XXXVIII).
• (I, 751 and suiv. ; II, 34 and suiv. ; IV, 246; XII, 581).
• Dante, the Divine comedy (Song, XVII; V, CVII)

See too

Phaeton is also a Catamaran with veil of 10,20 X 6. Drawn in 1984 per Michel Francqueville and proposed at various stages of completion by the Workshops Polyester of Vivarois (APV). About thirty specimens were launched in years 85 - 87.