12 questions · Mythology
Helios is the Greek sun god who drives a fiery chariot pulled by four horses across the sky day after day. In the morning he rises from the sea in the east, in the evening he sinks in the west and returns by night in a golden cup to the point of dawn. From his lofty vantage Helios sees all that happens on earth: which is why he is often invoked as an all-seeing witness and avenger. He told Demeter of the abduction of her daughter and exposed the affair of Ares and Aphrodite. His famous Wonder of the World was the Colossus of Rhodes. Later Helios largely merged with Apollo into an all-embracing god of light. Each day Helios drives the sun chariot across the sky. Near-catastrophe came from the disastrous ride of his son Phaethon, who could not control the fiery steeds. Good to know: Helios is the personified sun; each morning he rises in the east, each evening he sinks into the western sea. By night he sails back over the ocean to his starting point in a huge golden cup. From his sun chariot Helios surveys the whole world and is invoked as a witness.
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the sun
Helios is the personified sun; each morning he rises in the east, each evening he sinks into the western sea.
💡 Did you know? By night he sails back over the ocean to his starting point in a huge golden cup.
he sees everything
From his sun chariot Helios surveys the whole world and is invoked as a witness.
💡 Did you know? He told the grieving Demeter that Hades had abducted her daughter Persephone.
that of his son Phaethon
Helios's son Phaethon borrowed the sun chariot, lost control and nearly set the earth ablaze.
💡 Did you know? Zeus had to strike Phaethon from the chariot with a thunderbolt to save the world.
the Colossus of Rhodes
The giant bronze statue, the Colossus of Rhodes, depicted the sun god Helios, patron of the island.
💡 Did you know? Later Helios largely merged with Apollo into an all-embracing god of light.
slaughtering his sacred cattle
On an island grazed Helios's sacred cattle; slaughtering them was to bring disaster.
💡 Did you know? Odysseus's hungry companions ate them anyway, as punishment Zeus sank their ship.
Rhodes
Rhodes was seen as the island of Helios; here the famous Colossus stood in his honour.
💡 Did you know? According to legend the island of Rhodes rose from the sea especially for Helios.
in the sun chariot
Four fiery steeds draw it from east to west.
💡 Did you know? At night he drifts back across the ocean in a golden cup.
into the heliotrope
She pined for Helios and has followed the sun ever since.
💡 Did you know? Ovid preserves the tale in the Metamorphoses.
for oaths
The all-seeing one sees every breach of word.
💡 Did you know? He alone reported Persephone's abduction, too.
Hephaestus
The all-seeing one reported the adultery to the husband.
💡 Did you know? The famous net trap followed from it.
Selene and Eos
Moon and dawn: three lights of one family.
💡 Did you know? All three are children of Titans.
with Apollo
Late antiquity equated the two.
💡 Did you know? Originally sun titan and light god were distinct.
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