The Fall of Phaeton

He was the youngest of the children of Helios and was challenged by the same age as Epafo to be able to prove his divine descent and so, having obtained reassurances from his mother, he is going to the east end and beyond the Styx river to face his father. From his father, he got the promise that the god would do anything to prove that he was his father and so Phaeton got permission to drive the solar cart for a day. Young and reckless, however, he is proving inexperienced in managing the reins and keeping the horses of Helios at bay and so he lost control and the carriage gets too close to the Earth and dried its rivers, burned the forests and burned the soil, which in Africa it became deserted and the skin of the Ethiopians turned black. Zeus, shocked by the destruction, struck the carriage with lightning and made Phaeton fall into the waters of the Eridan river where he drowned and was mourned by the Eliadi sisters Images @Simone Paccini Model @Khadim Diop