Hello everyone, and welcome back to "Greek Mythology Gods." In this mythological world steeped in mystery and legend, we'll once again embark on a journey in the footsteps of the gods. Let's journey through time and space together!
Last episode, we told the story of Apollo, the King of Music: not only handsome and intelligent, but also renowned for his exceptional musical talent. Athena, out of jealousy, crafted a flute, setting off a series of fateful entanglements. The forest god Marsyas used this flute to challenge Apollo, but was tragically defeated. Even in the face of challenges and jealousy, Apollo proved his divine glory with his unparalleled music and wisdom.
Today, we'll delve into the stories of the "unlucky sons of the gods"—children born with divine blood but destined for tragic fates. Their tragedies reveal the eternal intertwining of power, arrogance, and fate.
In ancient Greece, there was a learned and benevolent god of medicine named Asclepius. Son of Apollo, he was intelligent and studious from a young age, possessing exceptional medical skills. Once, he used herbs to revive a boy bitten by a venomous snake, earning him widespread fame. He could even bring the dead back to life, earning him the nickname "the doctor who rivals the god of death." However, this power also angered Hades, the god of the underworld. The resurrected souls left the underworld empty. He angrilycomplained to Zeus. Fearing a disruption to order in the human world, Zeus struck Asklipios to death with a thunderbolt. Apollo, grief-stricken by the loss of his son, slew the Cyclops, the guardian of the underworld and the craftsman of Zeus's lightning. Zeus, enraged but also filled with remorse, ultimately elevated Asklipios to the rank of god of medicine, bringing eternal healing to humanity.
But the tragedy did not end there. Helios' son, Phaethon, also suffered a tragic fate. Determined to prove his paternal chariot's identity as the son of Helios, the young Phaethon insisted on driving his father's chariot. Despite Helios'srepeated pleas, Phaethon leaped onto his chariot and, driven by his fiery steed, soared into the sky. However, he could not control the power of the flames. The sun chariot soared too high, scorching the heavens; then too low, burning the earth. Glaciers melted, the oceans evaporated, and the worldplunged into disaster. At this moment, Zeus struck again, a thunderbolt streaking across the sky, striking Phaethon down. Legend has it that he fell into the river, his body burning into a meteor, a streak of light across the night sky—a father's warning and a tragedy for a young son of the gods.
The sons of the gods all bear the same fate—they inherit the glory of the gods, but they cannot escape their punishment. In Greek mythology, the sons of the gods often transgressed forbidden boundaries driven by pride, desire, and love—ultimately, between light and thunder, they forged immortal legends.
In the next episode, we will tell a story of friendship, jealousy, and everlasting longing—"Apollo's Good Friend." According to Greek mythology, Apollo met the handsome young Hyacinthus and became his close friend. However, Zephyralso fell in love with the young man, and jealousy led to tragedy. During a discus toss, Zephyr deflected the discus, and Hyacinthus died unexpectedly. Heartbroken, Apollo transformed him into a flower—the hyacinth, a symbol ofregret and reborn love. From then on, every spring, the hyacinth bloomed, whispering Apollo's grief over the loss of his friend.
This is "Greek Mythology Gods," and I'm your narrator. See you next time.
For further reading, you can refer to the following:
Asklepios- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepius
Helios- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helios
Phaethon- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaethon
If you’d like to dive deeper beyond the stories, you can also explore sculptures inspired by these myths here: