Phaethon
E105135
Phaethon is a figure in Greek mythology best known for disastrously attempting to drive the sun god’s chariot across the sky, leading to his death and the scorching of the earth.
All labels observed (3)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Phaethon canonical | 6 |
| Phaethon (star deity) | 1 |
| myth of Phaethon | 1 |
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
character in Greek mythology
ⓘ
mythological figure ⓘ |
| associatedDeity | Helios ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
fire
ⓘ
hubris ⓘ sun chariot ⓘ the sun ⓘ |
| attemptedAction | to drive Helios’s chariot across the sky ⓘ |
| causeOfDeath | fall from the sky ⓘ |
| causeOfDeathDetail | struck down by Zeus’s thunderbolt ⓘ |
| culturalImpact |
frequent subject in Renaissance painting
ⓘ
referenced in later European literature ⓘ subject of numerous ancient artworks ⓘ |
| etymology | name often linked to Greek for “shining” or “radiant” ⓘ |
| familyRelation | grandson of Hyperion in some traditions ⓘ |
| father | Helios ⓘ |
| gender | male ⓘ |
| genre |
didactic myth
ⓘ
heroic myth ⓘ |
| hasVariantTradition | genealogy varies among ancient sources ⓘ |
| killedBy | Zeus ⓘ |
| literarySource |
Ovid’s Metamorphoses
ⓘ
works of classical Greek authors ⓘ |
| mother | Clymene ⓘ |
| mythology | Greek mythology ⓘ |
| narrativeFunction | explains natural phenomena such as deserts and climate extremes in myth ⓘ |
| notableFor |
attempting to drive the sun god’s chariot
ⓘ
causing a catastrophic scorching of the earth ⓘ |
| parent |
Clymene
ⓘ
Helios ⓘ |
| resultOfAttempt |
creation of deserts in mythic explanation
ⓘ
loss of control of the chariot ⓘ scorching of parts of the earth ⓘ threat to cosmic order ⓘ |
| roleInMyth |
cautionary example of hubris
ⓘ
tragic youth ⓘ |
| settingOfMyth |
earth
ⓘ
sky ⓘ |
| symbolizes |
overreaching ambition
ⓘ
recklessness ⓘ the dangers of ignoring divine warnings ⓘ |
| theme |
danger of excessive pride
ⓘ
divine punishment ⓘ limits of mortal power ⓘ |
| warningDirectedAt | mortals who aspire to divine powers ⓘ |
Referenced by (8)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.