Mortal, rays, Stygian, chariot, bolt
Facts and details: Literal Meaning
Who is Phoebus?
Why did Phaethon have to protect his eyes?
What favor does Phaethon ask for?
Why does Phoebus let him drive the chariot?
What happens to Phaethon when he tries to drive the chariot?
What’s going on? Reading comprehension
Why did Phaethon want to drive the chariot of the sun?
Why do the horses run away?
Why would Draco the Dragon become more active when the sun heats him up?
Why does Jupiter throw the lightning bolt at Phaethon and the chariot?
Why is Dawn called “rosy” in so many Greek and Roman stories and poems?
In your own words…
Phoebus made a vow that he wasn’t able to break and so had to let Phaethon drive the chariot of the sun, even th ough he knew it was a bad idea. Ask your parents, grandparents or another older person about a time when they were young and didn’t listen to someone who warned them to try something that they did anyway.
How did it turn our? Write a story about their experience.
Newspaper activity
As a class, list some of the reasons that Phaethon was not successful in driving the chariot. Now find examples in today’s paper of people w ho have been injured or killed for similar reasons. What might have helped keep them safer? (Were other people also injured in those examples?)
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.