\paperw4260 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 \cf7 Until his adolescence\b \cf15 \ATXht11620 Phaδthon \b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 was unaware that he was the son of\cf15 \b \ATXht10810 Heli
os\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , the sun god, but when he found out he demanded to be given a sign in recognition of his birth. So he left his native Ethiopia and went to the eastern limits of the Earth, where the sun rose, and asked to be allowed to drive the chari
ot of fire for a day. His father was afraid and sought to dissuade him, but in the end, forced to choose between giving in and denying his son, he allowed Phaδthon to take the chariot, a gift from\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht7 Hephaestu\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 , and res
igned himself to \b \cf15 \ATXht10600 Fate\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 .\par
When the last star left the sky, the young man took the bridle in hand and set off at a gallop with the fiery winged horses that not even Zeus* was capable of controlling. And the feared d
isaster occurred: the inexpert driver lost control of the horses and, terrified by the height and the sight of the terrible figures of the Zodiac, lost his way and threatened to set fire to heaven and earth.\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht8 Zeus\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 \cf7 had no choice but to bring him down with a thunderbolt and he fell into the river\cf0 \b \cf15 \ATXht112 Eridanus\b0 \cf7 \ATXht0 . The Heliads, sisters who wept over his loss, were turned into poplars by the god of the river.
