Ovid Book 1 & 2 - Phaethon

Characters

• Clymene/Klymene- mother of Phaethon, who bore Phaethon as a result of being raped by Phoebus
• Zeus/Jupiter- ‘King of the Gods,’ uses thunderbolts.
• Apollo/Phoebus- god of the sun. Referred to as ‘The Sun.’ Drives a four-horse chariot across the sky each day. He rose from a palace in the east and flew to another in the west.
• Phaethon- son of Phoebus and Clymene, young, naïve, disobedient, foolish.

Apollo & Daphne

• After humans are born again, Apollo speaks disparagingly (making fun of the way he uses arrow for love and not war like they were intended for) to Cupid (2nd eros born from aphrodite), who shoots two arrows in retaliation.

The first arrow causes Apollo to fall in love, and the second arrow makes the object of his love, Daphne, flee. Apollo pursues Daphne, but she rejects him. Apollo pleads and persists, and Daphne cries out to her father (Peneus) for help.

He responds by transforming her into a laurel tree. Not entirely deterred, Apollo gropes the tree.

• Mercury then seeks the help of Herse’s greedy sister, Arglauros.
• Arglauros consents for a price of a heavy weight of gold for her services.
• Ovid then describes how the goddess Minerva, whose mysteries Aglauros has violated, decides to poison her mind with jealousy for her sister
• Arglauros is then filled with envy and does not want her sister or anyone else to have greater fortune than herself.
• She blocks Hermes path to Herses and he turns her into stone.

• Then Mercury flew and looked down upon the Munchyian fields, the land Minerva/Athena loves.

• The day was the festival of Pallas in which innocent girls carried the flowered baskets to Minerva/Athena’s temple.

• He then sees Herse among the maiden girls and is awestruck by her beauty.

• He then flies to Earth and without disguising himself, and grooms himself.

Apollo's Admonishment

and the granting of Phaethon’s

wish

Books 1 & 2: Phaethon

Mercury and Herse

• In Apollo’s absence, Mercury steals Apollo’s cattle.
• No one sees this except for an old man named Battus, a guardian for a herd of the rich mares of Neleus.
• Mercury bribes Battus to keep quiet and Battus promises Mercury that he would not betray him.
• However after the deed is done, Mercury comes back to Battus disguised as another man and exclaims that his cattle was stolen.
• Mercury (in disguise) then promises Battus a greater prize of a bull and its heifer.
• Upon this offering, Battus tells Mercury in disguise where his cattle was led.
• Then Mercury exclaims to Battus that he betrayed himself to the one who did the doing and turns him into solid flint called ‘touchstone.’

• After hearing these warnings, Phaethon does not relent.
• Apollo then admonishes and then led Phaethon to his chariot, which was built by Vulcan (Hephaestus).

Phaethon’s Death

Aftermath

• Seeing this destruction and chaos, Zeus struck Phaethon down with a thunderbolt.
• Phaethon’s body was then hurled into the river of Eridanus.
• After learning of his death, Apollo was filled with grief and did not drive the chariot of the sun for days.
• Phaethon’s mother stricken with grief searched the Earth for days looking for her son’s limbs and bones.
• The Heliads wept for him and were turned into trees.
• Cycnus, Phaethon’s kin also grieved and left his kingdom. He was then turned into a swan.

• Phaethon's father was overtaken by grief and anger over his son’s death and refused to bring light to the Earth.
• Eventually, the gods persuade Apollo to bring light back to the world.
• Though, Apollo is angered by Jupiter and blames him for his son’s death, he eventually returns to his duty.

Phaeton's Instructions

• Apollo gives Phaeton specific instructions on commanding the chariot.
• Phaeton must not pull on the reins or else the horses will get angry, once they start going they will do their job without any need to force them.
• Next he advises that Phaeton should not go too high or too low and keep to a straight forward path, or else the chariot may damage the earth.

Metamorphoses, by Ovid

Book 1

Phaethon's Parentage

The Earth Ablaze

• The horses, then veer further off the track into unknown regions of the sky.
• The run wild and freely, climbing toward the heights of heaven and then rush down towards Earth.
• The Earth is then set ablaze.
• Moisture evaporates, mountain and forest are burned, rivers dry up, and the heat confines Neptune (Poseidon) to the sea. The earth utters a lament, which is quickly silenced by heat and smoke.

• Phaethon had been told by his mother that Apollo was his father. Though, Phaethon proclaimed this, Phaethon's peers teased him because they did not believe that the Sun was his father.
• Phaethon then journeyed to Apollo's palace to determine the truth.

Phoebus Apollo

Phaethon’s Flight

Phaethon

Book 2

The Sun's Palace

• Phaethon takes off, steering the chariot into the sky.
• The chariot is eventually led off track.
• Phaethon then became very fearful because he could not control the eager steeds and did not know how to get back to the correct route.
• Knowing he has lost all control, Phaethon regrets his wish and about seeking Apollo to know of his parentage.
• He then passes by many of the creatures in the sky. The Scorpio, drenched with venomous poison stretched its body and tries to wound him.
• Phaethon overtaken by fear lets go of the reins.

• When Phaethon arrives at Apollo's palace, much of its grandeur and artistic beauty is meticulously listed and described by the narrator. It is very decadent and intricately portrayed.

• Phaethon then approaches his father, who sits on his emerald encrusted throne and is attended by the Day (Dies/Hemera), Month (Mensis), the year (Annus), and others.

• Spring, summer, autumn, and winter were also there.

Apollo's Golden Chariot

• The chariot was golden and radiated the brilliance of Apollo's light (the sun’s radiance).
• It was driven by 4 horses:
• They were said to be very strong, eager, and wild.
• Aethon- Blaze
• Aeous/Eous- Dawn
• Pyrois- Fire
• Phlegon- Flame

Warnings

Phaethon speaks

with his Father

• The Sun addresses his son and asks why he as come to see him.
• Phaethon seeks evidence to prove that really Apollo is really his father so he and everyone else would not doubt that he is the offspring of the Sun god.
• His father confirms that he is his son and also states that in order to banish all of Phaethon’s doubts he will grant him any wish.
• Phaethon then declares that he desires to drive his father’s chariot for a day.

• As soon as Phaethon proclaimed his wish, Apollo realized he made a mistake. He was filled with regret that his son asked for the one thing that Apollo did not want Phaethon to ask for.
• Since he could go back on his oath, Apollo instead tries to warn and persuade Phaethon that driving his chariot is a very bad idea.
• He says that Phaethon lacks the experience and strength, since he is just a boy, to control the chariot and therefore it is too dangerous.
• He then states that even Jupiter (Zeus), the mightiest of them all, cannot steer his chariot.

Phaethon asks Phoebus/Apollo for chariot