"Family"
Who is the father of Phaethon?
Helios - the Titan
What does Clymene do to try to prove to Phaethon that Helios is his father?
She stares at the sky and announces that Phaethon is the son of Helios, or the gods may strike her down.
Why is the northernmost part of Europe cold and icy?
Phaethon flew too high, which allowed the Earth to cool and ice over in areas.
Who pulls the sun across the sky every day?
Helios
(Sometimes it's mistakenly attributed to Apollo)
What is the name of the constellation comprised of Phaethon's 7 sisters?
Heliads
(Named after their father Helios)
Who is the overprotective mother of Phaethon?
Clymene - she was a nymph
Why must Helios keep his promise to Phaethon and let him drive the chariot for a day?
Helios made a vow and swore by the river Styx, which makes the promise unbreakable.
The myth claims that people in this continent turned dark-skinned due to Phaethon bringing the sun too close to the earth.
Africa
Who kills Phaethon? How does he die?
Zeus strikes Phaethon with a lightning bolt and blasts him from the sky.
What advice did Helios give to his son to avoid being attacked by the constellations?
Helios told him to stay in the middle of the sky. Don't go too high or low.
How many sisters does Phaethon have?
7 older sisters
Why is Phaethon able to find his father's palace?
When Phaethon flew too close to the Earth's surface, the sun began to scorch the surface of the Earth. According to the myth, what desert was formed?
Sahara
Why is Phaethon's mother so protective of him?
He is her youngest child, and he's male.
(Notice that the female offspring are also part deity, but Clymene isn't overly worried about their safety.)
According to the myth, why does the sun move across the sky from east to west?
Helios drives the path each day. (The smaller gods, Eos - dawn, and others help him keep time.)
At night, Helios goes to sleep, and he and his horses are magically transported back to the east to repeat the process the next day.
Whose name means "The Fiery One"?
Bullies called him "Shiny One"
Phaethon
Hubris - means excessive pride. In what ways does Phaethon demonstrate hubris?
Provide 2 examples.
He refuses his mom's advice to "leave well enough alone."
He refuses his dad's instructions on driving the chariot.
He flew too close to Earth so that his "friends" see him driving the chariot.
After Phaethon's fall, Zeus transformed his sisters into what sort of tree that produces amber?
Poplar trees
Who are the Horae?
The goddesses of the seasons (spring, summer, etc.)
What tried to attack Phaethon as he flew too high into the atmosphere?
Taurus - Bull; Cancer - Crab; Scorpion- Scorpio, etc.
Who are Blaze, Dawn, Fire, and Flame?
These are the names of the 4 horses who pull the chariot that pulls the sun across the sky.
Why is amber called the stone of light? (How does this story explain the origin of amber?)
Phaethon's sisters were distraught over his death. They stood near the water and cried. Zeus took pity and transformed them into poplar trees. The tears of the tree were amber.
Phaethon crashed into a swamp near the mouth of the Po River. What's unique about the pool of water into which he fell? -
The water is toxic - and bubbles. Supposedly no life grew near the water.
Epaphos is the bully who teases Phaethon. Who is the father of Epaphos?
The king of the city is the father of Epaphos. Some stories credit Zeus as being the father.
Why doesn't Phaethon burn alive while pulling the sun across the sky?
Helios puts a balm on Phaethon to prevent the sun from scorching his son.