Roman equivalent: Sol Link/cite this page Known wives/consorts: Selene, Perse, Clymene, Aegle, Neaera, Rhodos, Ocyrrhoe, Leucothoe, Nausidame, and Gaia Nevertheless, his image as the handsome Titan driving a blazing chariot pulled through the sky by his fire-breathing steeds lives on to this day. Conclusionĭespite having what some historians believe to be a significant place in the Greeks’ hearts, Helios did not play a massive part in their mythology, and it seems that he was eventually replaced by Apollo. There is even speculation that they were the people who brought the worship of the sun god to Rhodes. The Dorians, one of the four major ethnic groups of Greece at the time, also seemed to have celebrated Helios more than many Greeks of the era. In the 3rd Century BC the people of Rhodes built the Colossus of Rhodes which was a 30 metre (90 foot) statue of Helios, it was won of the Seven wonders of the Ancient world. Because of Helios’ life-giving intervention, some residents of the island worshiped him, and the island became sacred to Helios. Helios dried the land and filled it with life, including seven of his sons known as Heliadae. Legend has it that when the island first came into being, it was muddy and uninhabitable. The island of Rhodes, believed to have been shaped by Helios, is a place where people honored him as an important deity. Zeus then strikes the crew’s ship with a lightning bolt, killing everyone except for Odysseus. He threatens to take the sun and shine it onto the dead of the Underworld, instead of on the earth, if the men’s act goes unpunished. They do not heed this warning and, in his absence, slaughter some of the best of the animals.Īlerted to this by one of his daughters, Helios appeals to Zeus for revenge.

When Odysseus and his men land on Thrinacia, one of the islands dedicated to the sun god, Odysseus warns them not to touch any of Helios’ cattle or sheep that graze on the land. Helios has a small but notable role in the Odyssey. Hercules was then able to use this cup to reach his destination. Helios, however, was so taken with the boldness of this action that he presented Hercules with his golden cup. Upon realizing what he had done, he apologized to the Titan. Legend has it that one day while lost in his quest to find the island of Erythia, Hercules grew frustrated and shot an arrow towards the sun. At this time, he would he would hide in a golden cup that fell to earth while his sister, Eos, would begin her nightly trek. He would drive his blazing chariot across the heavens until his travels were complete. Four horses, Aethon, Pyrois, Phlegon and Eous, drew his chariot.Įach morning, his sister, Eos, would paint the dawn sky with her fingers and pull the misty curtain, through which Helios would appear, aside. Daily TravelsĪs the sun god, Helios would make a daily journey across the sky. This ability would have made him a valuable friend to keep and a frightening enemy to have. Caught in the act, the gods then banished Ares from Olympus for his crime. He reported this to Hephaestus, Aphrodite’s husband, and helped set a trap to catch the two lovers. When Demeter, Persephone’s mother, demanded to know the whereabout of her daughter, the Titan was able to inform her that Hades had kidnapped the goddess.Īnother tale illustrating his ability describes Helios witnessing an affair between Aphrodite and Ares. It is not uncommon so see Helios given the epitaph Panoptes, or all-seeing, as the Greeks believed that he could witness anything in the heavens or on earth.Īccording to the myth about Persephone’s abduction by Hades, it was Helios who saw the crime occur. The Charites, Phaethon, The Horae, Pasiphaë, Circe, Aeëtes, Heliadae, and Heliades are among his known offspring. Helios sired many children with his different wives. Among them were his sister, Selene, and Perse, an Oceanid. The Titan had several wives and consorts. His sisters were goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn. Helios was the son of the Titan Hyperion and the Titaness, Theia, making him a second generation Titan. He had piercing eyes and long, curly hair. Artwork of the time often shows Helios to be wearing a shining aureole, or halo, of the sun upon his head.

Sun in greek mythology