The Boy Who Fell Driving the Sun-Chariot
The illegitimate son of the sun god Helios. Mocked by his friends for "having no father," he walked on foot to the eastern edge of the world to demand proof from his father — and got a sun-chariot he could not drive. In one bid to prove himself behind the reins, he nearly burned up the whole world.
The four fiery horses, feeling an unfamiliar hand behind the reins, bolted at once. The chariot shot up to the heavens and cracked the earth with cold, then dove and scorched the mountains and rivers — legend says the Sahara and the dark skin of the Ethiopians date from that day. To limit the damage Zeus loosed a thunderbolt, and the boy fell blazing into a river like a shooting star. His epitaph reads: he greatly failed, but he greatly dared.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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