Phaethon was a son of Helios and the oceanide Klymene and he had a quite short life. Klymene kept his birth in secret and didn’t show Helios his son until he was already a grown up boy. But Phaethon didn’t believe that Helios was his father and wanted to see a proof. After a long discussion, Helios allowed him to steer his carriage.

In the beginning Phaethon managed quite good, but suddenly he lost the balance and lost the control of the carriage. As a consequence he burnt a big part of the Earth and of the Sky. When Zeus saw this big danger he threw a thunder to Phaethon, who felt down.

He felt in the river Eridanos and died soon. There he was found by his sisters and brothers, the Heliads and was laid to rest with all honors.