Amidst stories of rape, lust, loss, fear, etc. my favorite of the first half were the three stories dealing with Phaethon who is the son of Sun and mortal Clymene. The first thing that grabbed my attention was from the story Phaethon and the Sun. The imagery used to describe the palace of Sun is awe-inspiring if given actual attention.
The palace of the Sun towered up with raised columns, bright with glittering gold, and gleaming bronze like fire. Shining ivory crowned the roofs, and the twin doors radiated light from polished silver.Because this unit is also paired with Biblical units I find this comparison interesting from a passage in Revelation chapter 4 (verses 3-6) that describes the throne room of God in a similar manner.
And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald... From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. (From ESV Bible Online)A lot of times I find myself thinking that words suck. Not innately. Just that sometimes words are pretty feeble to communicate those really-deep-inside feelings. But the way that the writer of Phaethon and the Sun and the way John in Revelation both describe these places that are indescribable, I want to be able to do that with words one day. I want to have such a good grasp on them that I can articulate the hard things, just a random thought!
The other stories in this unit are packed with emotional tales and dramatic betrayals, but this in particular is the thing that most stood out.
Painting by Gustave Moreau included in the story Phaethon's Ride
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