Phaeton lost control of which vehicle?

• A. A chariot of the moon
• B. A dragon
• C. A chariot of the sun
• D. A wagon of the winds

Answer: (C)

Phaeton’s tale revolves around him trying to drive the sun across the sky. He’s the son of Helios, the sun god, and asks to take the reins. Helios gives him the helm, but the horses are too powerful, and Phaeton cannot control them, causing the sun’s path to dip and rise chaotically and bringing heat and disaster to the world. Zeus has to intervene with a thunderbolt to stop the catastrophe. So the vehicle he loses control of is the chariot of the sun. The other options don’t fit this myth—mythic imagery of the moon or winds isn’t what Phaeton is known for, and a dragon isn’t the vehicle in this story.