Scorpius / Myth. Short summary

5 seconds

Scorpio frightened the horses in Helios’ chariot. Instead of the god in it was his son Phaethon, who failed to cope with the steering. Lightning struck and the chariot burned, Phaethon himself died.

1 minute

In Greek myths, Scorpio is mentioned in the story of Phaethon, the son of Helios, god of the sun, and Clymene, daughter of Thetis. Helios fell in love with a beautiful girl and she bore him a son, Phaethon, but he was no god. One day his friend Epaph, son of Zeus, insulted the youth by doubting that he was a son of Helios.

The boy went to his father, who promised to fulfil his son’s every wish as a proof of his love for him. Phaethon asked his father for permission to ride in his chariot. Helios had long dissuaded the boy, for even the other gods could not cope with winged horses, and it was beyond the powers of a mortal child. But the son insisted, and Helios could not break his word.

Phaethon got into the chariot and took the reins, but when the horses galloped with great speed, he could not hold them. The animals went astray, for they were not steered, and collided with Scorpius. He tried to attack the chariot, and the animals rushed even faster. The chariot rushed straight to the ground, its heat killed everything around it, Zeus sent his lightning bolt which burned it, and Phaethon fell into the river.