Phaëthon (Ancient Greek: Φαέθων, "shining one"), was most commonly considered to be the son of the sun god Helios and the sea nymph Clymene, although his parentage was uncertain. Wanting to prove his pedigree, he asked his father to be allowed to drive the sun chariot for a day. While crossing the sky, he was unable to control the horses. The Earth was in danger of being incinerated, forcing Zeus to destroy the chariot with a thunderbolt. Although a lost play by Euripides (known from external reviews) had Phaëthon survive the fall, most versions of the story do not. His precise cause of death has been reported variously as being from the chariot's internal fire, electrocution from Zeus' bolt, blunt impact with the ground, or drowning in a river where he landed.