Meet five mythological figures who angered the gods and paid for it in the most poetically satisfying ways imaginable! Les Danaïds, Hector Leroux, Paris Salon of 1877. Image via Wikipedia DISCOVER The ancient Greek gods took punishment very seriously. They asked; what if the worst thing about your punishment wasn't the pain but how fitting it was to your crime? Meet five mythological figures who crossed the gods and paid for it in the most poetically satisfying ways imaginable! Tantalus...

The perils of driving the sun chariot without a licence (especially if you are mortal). Helios the Sun God. Early 4th Century BCE. Image via Wikipedia DISCOVER Of all the cautionary myths, Phaethon’s is one of the most dangerous and visceral. Phaethon was the mortal son of Helios, the god who was responsible for driving the sun chariot with its four blazing horses across the sky each day. Helios (the literal personification of the sun) is not to be confused with Apollo (the Olympian god of...

Ancient Roman pottery stamps help archaeologists figure out who the product was made by, where it was produced, and who purchased it. Example of an ancient Roman pottery stamp fearing the name of the potter Camurius. Image courtesy of British Museum DISCOVER Just like the bowl from which you might have eaten your cereal this morning, ancient Roman pottery often featured stamps which tell us about the person who crafted the ceramic. Such makers’ marks...