Phaethon

Phaethon was the son of Hyperion and the nymph Clymene.  One day when Phaethon told a friend that the sun was his father, the boy laughed and Phaethon was full of anger.

When he got home, he asked his mom to prove to him that he was the son of Hyperion.  Clymene put her hands up to the sky and asked the sun to prove to Phaethon that he was his father.  

Clymene told Phaethon to travel to India, where the sun rises.  So he entered the palace of the sun, and he was amazed at what he saw.  The palace was full of diamonds and glittering halls of gold.  When Hyperion spotted Phaethon, he greeted him with open arms and told him he would not be disowned.

Then Hyperion said, "To put an end to your doubts, ask what you will; the gift shall be yours."  So Phaethon asked to drive the chariot of the sun.  Hyperion didn't want to grant him his request, because he knew that his son couldn't handle driving the chariot of the sun.  It was much too dangerous.

Hyperion tried to convince his son that it was a very hard job and it would be risky.  Phaethon didn't listen to his father's advice and insisted on doing it anyway.  Phaethon put the sun beam on his head and took off.  Moments later, Phaethon and the chariot went out of control. 

When he looked down onto the earth, he began to panic.  When he flew too close to the earth, the land began to burn and living things began to perish.  He also got too close to the heavens.  Things got out of control, and Zeus threw a thunderbolt towards the chariot, and Phaethon was thrown into the river where he perished.

Hyperion was saddened by his son's death.  On Phaethon's tombstone, it read, 

"Driver of Phoebus' chariot, Phaethon 
Struck by Jove's thunder, rests beneath this stone.
He could not rule his father's car of fire, 
Yet was it much so nobly to aspire."  

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