Context

               The story of Phaethon originated in a Greek play written by Aeschylus hundreds of years before Ovid’s rendition of the tale. Aeschylus’s exact script wouldn’t be the one seen in Ovid as Euripides would adapt and alter the play. Plato would also briefly write about Phaethon in Timaeus before Ovid so the story was well-developed before its version in the Metamorphosis. 

               In the Metamorphosis, the story of Jove and Io precedes Phaethon’s story, this bears some weight as one of Epaphus, Phaethon’s friend, was the son of Jupiter and Io. Epaphus would be one of the people to incite Phaethon into seeking his father after accusing Phaethon of lying about his father being Apollo. These accusations weigh heavily on Phaethon as he consults his mother about his true father later in the story to which she tells him to seek out his father. After Phaethon finds his father, he makes his father swear to fulfill any request that he has and since Apollo is filled with guilt he swears by the river Styx that he will allow Phaethon any request. Apollo’s oath would prove to be one of the biggest mistakes he ever made as his son would request to drive the chariot of the sun. Apollo pleaded with Phaethon to withdraw his request but his pleas fell on ignorantly prideful ears. With hopes to prove that Apollo is his true father Phaethon set out in the chariot not listening to the warnings of his father. Shortly after taking the reins Phaethon would lose them and the horses would pull the chariot too close to the earth’s surface. The sun chariot burned everything it came across and mother earth turned her face into herself before crying out for help. Jupiter hears these cries and understands that he must put a stop to Phaethon’s rampage. Quickly Jupiter goes up to his citadel and accurately fires a thunderbolt striking the chariot and leaving Phaethon to die. The emotional impact of Phaethon’s death on Apollo forced him into hiding and the sun did not shine for a full day. Phaethon’s mother began a search for his body that had been buried by western nymphs and as she wasn’t expecting to find just bones she was struck even harder than she would have been if she found his body in flesh. Phaethon’s sisters would also be heavily affected by their kin’s passing as the Heliades would gather by a river bank and tragically transform into poplar trees.