Phaethon was the son of Helios, the Titan Sun God. Phaethon's name means "shining" and "radiant."
Perhaps out of pride for his heritage and birthright, he one day begged his father to let him steer the sun's chariot. Helios was reluctant, probably citing the young man's mortality and lack of experience, but He nevertheless eventually consented.
Phaethon soon lost complete control of the chariot and started to scorch the Earth. The King of the Gods, Zeus, seeing this calamity unfolding, threw a lightning bolt and sent Phaethon hurling down into the river Eridanos, killing him.
Legend has it that people of dark colored skin were created by this mishap, as the rays of the sun burnt them.
Phaethon's sisters gathered on the river banks to give mourning and were transformed into the poplar tree. Phaethon himself was also put into the constellations as The Charioteer. Some say he was actually made into, or the God of, the planet Jupiter or Saturn.
The lesson taught to humanity in Phaethon is that when humans think of themselves as Gods, or when they dare to go beyond what the Gods have limited them to, disaster will occur. In short, we are not Gods, and to think of ourselves as such, will lead to our destruction.
