Phaethon

I chose the story Phaethon from the Metamorphoses because I like what the story symbolizes. It is the typical story of a child not heeding to a parent's warning. It also shows good parenting in my opinion because Phoebus decided to let his son make his own decision. As a God Phoebus couldn't deny his son the promise that he made even though he wanted to say no. Phaethon was a child who found himself in over his head and wished that he had never wished to drive the chariot. It is an old example of what every teenager goes through. Some of them live to see another day, learning what could have been and to take heed in their parents advice. Some like Phaethon don't listen and don't live to see another day.

The story also speaks to another aspect of modern society in the affect that if a parent doesn't step in and stop a wreckless child a higher power will step in and take action. Juno takes the role of police on and stops Phaethon because Pheobus didn't stop his rampage. Phaethon destroyed most of the earth and because of that he was killed by Juno.

I found a link to another translation of the same story from the Metamorphoses... http://www.webwinds.com/thalassa/phaethtrans.htm Just to show everyone what the same thing could look like in from the exact same text.