Phaëthon

Latin > German (Georges)

Phaëthōn, ontis, Akk. ontem u. onta, m. (Φαέθων, der Leuchtende), I) Beiwort des Helios (der Sonne), Verg. Aen. 5, 105. Sil. 6, 3. – II) Sohn des Helios und der Klymene. Er erhielt von seinem Vater die Erlaubnis, den Sonnenwagen zu lenken. Aber da der schwache Jüngling nicht die Zügel zu führen vermochte, kam er der Erde zu nahe und steckte sie beinahe in Brand. Zur Strafe wurde er von Zeus mit dem Blitzstrahl erschlagen und fiel in den Eridanus, Cic. de nat. deor. 3, 76; de off. 3, 94. Ov. met. 2, 47 sqq. u. 342 (wo Akk. -onta). Caes. German. phaen. 363 (wo Akk. -onta): dah. Phaëthontem orbi terrarum educare, einen ungeschickten, der ganzen Welt verderblichen Herrscher, Suet. Cal. 11. – Genet. Phaëthontos, Mart. Cap. 9. § 914. – Dav.: A) Phaëthontēus, a, um (Φαεθόντειος), phaëthontisch, ignes, Ov.: umbra, Pappelbaum (s. imfolg.), Mart. – B) Phaëthontias, adis (Φαεθοντιάς), phaëthontisch, subst., Phaëthontiades, um, Akk. as, f., die Phaëthontiaden, Schwestern des Phaëthon, beweinten ihren Bruder so, daß sie in Pappelbäume oder nach anderen in Erlen und ihre Tränen in Bernstein verwandelt wurden (vgl. Ov. met. 2, 340 sqq.), Verg. ecl. 6, 62. Sen. Herc. Oet. 188. Sidon. epist. 1, 5, 3. – C) Phaëthontis, idis, f. (Φαεθοντίς), eine Schwester des Phaëthon, Avien. phaenom. 793. – attrib., phaë thontisch, gutta, Bernstein, Mart. 4, 32, 1. – Plur. subst., Phaëthontides = Phaëthontiades (s. vorher), Caes. German. phaen. 366. – D) Phaëthontius, a, um (Φαεθόντιος), phaëthontisch, Sil.: ora, die Sonnenscheibe, Sil.

Wikipedia EN

Phaethon (/ˈfeɪ.əθən/; Ancient Greek: Φαέθων, romanized: Phaéthōn, pronounced [pʰa.é.tʰɔːn]), also spelled Phaëthon, was the son of the Oceanid Clymene and the sun-god Helios in Greek mythology.

According to most authors, Phaethon is the son of Helios, and out of desire to have his parentage confirmed, travels to the sun-god's palace in the east. There he is recognised by his father, and asks him for the privilege to drive his chariot for a single day. Despite Helios' fervent warnings and attempts to talk him out of it, counting the numerous dangers he would face in his celestial journey and reminding Phaethon that only he can control the horses, the boy is not dissuaded and does not change his mind. He is then allowed to take the chariot's reins; his ride is disastrous, as he cannot keep a firm grip on the horses. As a result, he drives the chariot too close to the earth, burning it, and too far from it, freezing it. In the end, after many complaints, from the stars in the sky to the earth itself, Zeus strikes Phaethon with one of his lightning bolts, killing him instantly. His dead body falls into the river Eridanus, and his sisters the Heliades are turned to black poplar trees as they mourn him.

Phaethon's tale was commonly used to explain why inhabitable lands on both sides of extremity (such as hot deserts and frozen wastelands) exist, and why certain peoples have darker complexions, while his sisters' amber tears accounted for the river's rich deposits of amber.

Translations

am: ፋይጦን; ar: فايثون; bg: Фаетон; br: Faethon; ca: Faetont; cs: Faethón; cv: Фаэтон; da: Faeton; de: Phaethon; el: Φαέθων; en: Phaethon; eo: Faetono; es: Faetón; fa: فایتون; fi: Faethon; fr: Phaéton; gl: Faetonte; he: פאתון; hr: Faeton; hu: Phaethón; hy: Ֆայետոն; id: Phaethon; it: Fetonte; ja: パエトーン; ka: ფაეტონი; kk: Фаэтон; ko: 파에톤; la: Phaëthon; lt: Faetonas; my: ဖေသွန်; nl: Phaëton; oc: Faeton;: Faeton; pt: Faetonte; ro: Faeton; ru: Фаэтон; sco: Phaethon; sh: Faetont; sk: Faethón; sl: Faetont; sr: Фајетон; sv: Faethon; tr: Phaethon; uk: Фаетон; zh: 法厄同