This episode of a kid-friendly retelling of Greek mythology explores the story of Phaethon, son of Helios, and his longing to meet his father. It includes an awkward conversation between Phaethon and Helios, and Phaethon persistently requesting to drive the sun chariot, resulting in disastrous consequences.
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Quick takeaways
The importance of parental recognition and acceptance in a child's life.
The consequences of disregarding warnings and taking on responsibilities beyond one's capabilities.
Deep dives
Faithon discovers his divine heritage
Faithon, the child of the sun god Helios, grows up without knowing his father. He feels awkward about not having a normal dad and faces humiliation when he mentions his divine parentage at school. His mother Cleimene decides it's time for Faithon to meet his father. Faithon embarks on a journey to the palace of Helios, amazed by its magnificence. Eventually, Faithon meets Helios and shares his feelings of humiliation. Touched by his son's sadness, Helios declares Faithon as his legitimate son, establishing their relationship.
Faithon's desire to drive the sun chariot
Faithon, grateful for being recognized as the son of Helios, wants to impress his friends by driving the sun chariot. Despite the immense responsibility of the job, Faithon insists on his request. Helios tries to explain the difficulty and danger involved, but Faithon remains determined. Eventually, Helios reluctantly grants his request, and the next morning, Faithon attempts to drive the sun chariot.
The disastrous consequences of Faithon's chariot ride
As Faithon attempts to control the fiery horses pulling the sun chariot, he quickly realizes his mistake. The horses run wild, soaring too high and crashing into stars, creating the Milky Way. Then, they fly too low, scorching the African continent and transforming it into the Sahara Desert. Zeus intervenes, using his thunderbolts to bring down the chariot and save the world from further destruction. Faithon and the flaming horses crash into the Eridanus River, leading to his transformation into the constellation Auriga.
Oh, Muses! In this episode we tell the tale of Phaethon, son of Helios, and how he travels to distant lands in order to meet the father he's never known. We come across flaming horses, surprise siblings, difficult co-parenting decisions, and promises you have to keep, even though it's a bad idea.
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National Geographic Kids Greeking Out is a kid-friendly retelling of some of the best stories from Greek mythology. Check out zeusthemighty.com to meet Zeus the hamster and his friends-Athena the cat, Ares the pug, Demeter the grasshopper, and many more-who also listen to the Greeking Out podcast. Watch a video, read an excerpt, or check out the truth behind the stories!