![]() The Sun, seated in the middle of them, looked at the boy, who was fearful of the strangeness of it all, with eyes that see everything, and said ‘What reason brings you here? What do you look for on these heights, Phaethon, son that no father need deny?’ Phaethon replied ‘Universal light of the great world, Phoebus, father, if you let me use that name, if Clymene is not hiding some fault behind false pretence, give me proof father, so they will believe I am your true offspring, and take away this uncertainty from my mind!’ He spoke, and his father removed the crown of glittering rays from his head and ordered him to come nearer. Young Spring stood there circled with a crown of flowers, naked Summer wore a garland of ears of corn, Autumn was stained by the trodden grapes, and icy Winter had white, bristling hair. To right and left stood the Day, Month, and Year, the Century and the equally spaced Hours. Wearing a purple robe, Phoebus sat on a throne shining with bright emeralds. Above them was an image of the glowing sky, with six signs of the zodiac on the right hand door and the same number on the left.Īs soon as Clymene’s son had climbed the steep path there, and entered the house of this parent of whose relationship to himself he was uncertain, he immediately made his way into his father’s presence, but stopped some way off, unable to bear his light too close. The land shows men and towns, woods and creatures, rivers and nymphs and other rural gods. They are neither all alike, nor all different, just as sisters should be. The dark blue sea contains the gods, melodious Triton, shifting Proteus, Aegaeon crushing two huge whales together, his arms across their backs, and Doris with her daughters, some seen swimming, some sitting on rocks drying their sea-green hair, some riding the backs of fish. The work of art was finer than the material: on the doors Mulciber had engraved the waters that surround the earth’s centre, the earthly globe, and the overarching sky. Shining ivory crowned the roofs, and the twin doors radiated light from polished silver. The palace of the Sun towered up with raised columns, bright with glittering gold, and gleaming bronze like fire.
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