A legend from ancient Greece cautions that we must recognize the difference between harnessing the forces of nature and presuming to be those forces.

The palace of the Sun was always bright and sparkling with jewels. One day, a young man named Phaeton set out to see the palace and, after a long hot journey, found himself before Apollo, the Sun god. Apollo was Phaeton's father and was so pleased to see him that he said, "Ask me anything and I promise it shall be yours."

Phaeton was proud to be the son of a god and he knew right away what he wanted. "Father, let me take your place for one day. I want to command your chariot and pull the sun across the sky, as you do every day."

Apollo tried to change the young man's mind. "No mortal can drive my chariot, even the other gods cannot control it. The road from the sea each morning is very steep and difficult for the horses, and when I race down in the afternoon, I can barely control them. At midday, I am so high that I fear looking down. Please son, although I made a promise, choose anything but this."

Phaeton wanted to drive the chariot more than ever and he stubbornly insisted. Since it was time to start the daily journey, Apollo reluctantly agreed. With great pride, Phaeton climbed into the chariot and immediately rushed up into the sky, pulling the sun behind him.

The first few moments were great fun and Phaeton shouted out, "Look, I am the Lord of the Sky!" But suddenly he realized that he was out of control. The chariot was swinging wildly from side to side and rushing much too fast. The horses realized that their driver did not have the strength, confidence or experience needed. They raced off the road. Phaeton dropped the reins and fell onto the floor of the chariot. The horses stampeded to the very top of the sky and then plunged straight down towards the earth. The sun set the earth on fire.

Phaeton's screams for help woke Zeus, the ruler of the gods. He saw what had happened and, reaching into the clouds, grabbed a lightening bolt and threw it at the chariot. Phaeton was killed and the horses splashed into the sea. The waves poured over the land and put out the fire. No one but Apollo would ever drive the Sun's chariot across the sky.

This story cautions that the powers of nature are not to be underestimated. The next story, also from the ancient Greeks, tell about obtaining the gifts of nature but not forgetting your place.

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Last modified: Tue Jul 1 15:31:51 PDT 1997

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