The Story of Helios
Helios was the god of the sun, a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. His sisters were Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn. The Greeks pictured him as a handsome god crowned with shining rays, driving a golden chariot pulled by fiery horses.
Every morning, after Eos opened the gates of heaven, Helios rose from the eastern edge of the world and drove his chariot across the sky. In the evening he reached the far west, where he sailed back around the earth on the river Oceanus in a great golden cup. Then, at dawn, he set out again.
Because he saw everything from above, Helios was the all seeing witness of gods and mortals, and people called on him when they swore oaths. It was Helios who told Hephaestus that his wife Aphrodite was meeting Ares in secret. He also told the grieving Demeter that Hades had carried off her daughter Persephone.
His son Phaethon once asked to prove that he was truly the child of the sun. Helios swore to grant him any wish, and the boy asked to drive the sun chariot for a single day. Bound by his oath, Helios agreed, but Phaethon could not control the powerful horses, and the chariot swung so close to the earth that it scorched the land.
To save the world, Zeus struck Phaethon down with a thunderbolt, and the boy fell into the river Eridanus. His grieving sisters, the Heliades, were turned into poplar trees, and their tears became amber. Helios mourned his son deeply, and in some tellings he refused to drive the sun until the other gods begged him to return.
Helios kept herds of sacred cattle on the island of Thrinacia. When the starving crew of Odysseus killed and ate some of them, Helios threatened to shine in the underworld instead of the sky unless he was avenged. Zeus destroyed their ship with a thunderbolt, and only Odysseus survived.
Helios was worshipped above all on the island of Rhodes, which he chose for himself after missing the original division of the earth. The people of Rhodes held games in his honor and built the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant bronze statue of the sun god and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Later he was often linked with Apollo, and the Romans called him Sol.
Famous Myths About Helios
Phaethon's Ride
Helios promised his son Phaethon any wish, and the boy asked to drive the sun chariot for a day. He lost control of the fiery horses and scorched the earth, until Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt.
The All-Seeing Witness
Because Helios saw everything from the sky, he was the one who told Hephaestus about Aphrodite's affair with Ares. He also told the grieving Demeter that Hades had carried off Persephone.
The Cattle of the Sun
Helios kept sacred cattle on the island of Thrinacia. When Odysseus's starving crew killed and ate some of them, Helios demanded revenge, and Zeus destroyed their ship with a thunderbolt.
The Island of Rhodes
When the gods divided the earth, Helios was away driving his chariot and was left out. He asked instead for an island he saw rising from the sea, and Rhodes became his sacred home.
Helios's Family Tree
Partners of Helios
Children of Helios
Frequently Asked Questions About Helios
Who is Helios in Greek mythology?
Helios is the Titan god of the sun, who drives his chariot of fiery horses across the sky every day. Because he sees everything, people called on him to witness oaths.
Who are Helios's parents?
Helios is the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and the brother of Selene and Eos.
What happened to Phaethon?
Helios's son Phaethon begged to drive the sun chariot for a day. He lost control of the horses and scorched the earth, so Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt.
Why is Helios linked to Rhodes?
When the gods divided the earth, Helios claimed the island of Rhodes as it rose from the sea. The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was a giant statue of Helios.
What is Helios's Roman name?
The Romans called Helios Sol.
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