(1) Φαέθων ὁ τοῦ Ἡλίου παῖς, πόθον ἐσχηκὼς παράλογον ἐπιβῆναι τοῦ πατρικοῦ ἅρματος, πολλαῖς ἱκεσίαις καὶ δάκρυσι πείθει τοῦτον. (2) ἐπεὶ δ’ ἐπέβη τοῦ ἅρματος καὶ τοὺς ἵππους ἤρξατο μυωπίζειν, ἡνιοχεῖν εὖ οὐκ εἰδώς, μήτε μὴν οἷός τε ὢν ἑδραῖος ἐφιππάζεσθαι καὶ ἀκλόνητος, τοῖς ἵπποις παρασυρεὶς πολλῷ θράσει καὶ ἀγερωχίᾳ κεκινημένοις, καὶ προσγειότερος γενόμενος, ἐκτινάσσεται παρὰ τὸν Ἠριδανὸν ποταμὸν καὶ ἀποπνίγεται, πλειόνων τῆς περιοικίδος καταπυρποληθέντων μερῶν.
notes
Most editors consider this story a later addition. According to myth, Phaethon was the son of Helios, the Sun. Wanting proof of his divine parentage, he begged his father to let him drive the chariot of the sun for a single day. Helios warned him that the task was too dangerous, but finally yielded. Once Phaethon mounted the chariot, he could not control the horses. They dragged him wildly through the sky, and the sun came too close to the earth, burning lands, drying rivers, and threatening the whole world with destruction. Zeus struck Phaethon down with a thunderbolt, and he fell into the river Eridanus (sometimes identified with the Po river).
For a fuller version of the story that Pseudo-Palaephatus is summarizing, see Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.750–2.400; Hyginus, Fabulae 152a, 154.
1
ἐσχηκὼς: ptc. sing. pf. act. masc. nom. > ἔχω.
τοῦτον: Helios.
2
εἰδώς: ptc. sing. pf. act. masc. nom. > οἶδα, with present meaning.
οἷός τε ὢν: with the preceding μήτε μὴν, “and moreover not being able to.”
παρασυρεὶς: ptc. sing. aor. pass. masc. nom. > παρασύρω, to sweep away.
πλειόνων … καταπυρποληθέντων μερῶν: genitive absolute.
πλειόνων … μερῶν: “the greater part” or “most parts.”
vocabulary
1
Φαέθων –οντος, ὁ Phaethon (male name)
Ἥλιος –ου, ὁ Helios, the sun god
πόθος –ου, ὁ desire, love
παράλογος –ον unreasonable, irrational
ἐπιβαίνω, ἐπιβήσομαι, ἐπέβην, ἐπιβέβηκα, —, — to mount, climb on (+ gen.)
πατρικός –ή –όν belonging to one’s father
ἅρμα –ατος, τό chariot
ἱκεσία –ας, ἡ prayer, plea
δάκρυ –υος, τό tear
2
μυωπίζω, —, ἐμυώπισα to spur
ἡνιοχέω, contr. to drive a chariot
ἑδραῖος –α –ον steady
ἐφιππάζομαι to ride
ἀκλόνητος –ον unshaken
παρασύρω, παρασυρῶ, παρέσυρα, —, παρασέσυρμαι, παρεσύρην to sweep away
θράσος –ους, τό boldness, rashness
ἀγερωχία –ας, ἡ arrogance
πρόσγειος –ον close to the earth
ἐκτινάσσω to shake out, dislodge
Ἠριδανός –οῦ, ὁ Eridanus, a river
ἀποπνίγω, ἀποπνίξω, ἀπέπνιξα, —, ἀποπέπνιγμαι, ἀπεπνίχθην / ἀπεπνίγην to suffocate; drown
περιοικίς –ίδος, ἡ surrounding country, area
καταπυρπολέω, contr. to destroy with fire