Apollo, on the other hand, was an Olympian. For starters, Helios is generally regarded as a member of the Titans – the old gods that existed before the Olympians came onto the scene. The common solar deities that come to mind are Helios and Apollo – both of whom were revered as sun gods. The ancient Greeks had several deities associated with the sun. Although the island’s whereabouts remains unknown to this day, Homer stated that the place was rife with many worshipers of Helios.Ĭolossus of Rhodes – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Helios versus Apollo The statue is generally considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.Īnother very important worship center of Helios was at the island of Thrinacia. Legend has it that a huge statue – the Colossus of Rhodes – was erected in his honor on the island. Worshipīeginning around the 5 th century BCE, Greeks on the island of Rhodes considered Helios the chief god of the pantheon. His laugh even had the ability to make plants sprout, making life grow abundantly on the Earth. According to Homer, wherever Helios drove his chariot, he brought joy, laughter and prosperity.īeing the source of life, he had the ability make things grow or regenerate. And to some, he was the god of light, creation and life itself. The Greeks saw him as the creative power behind the Sun. He was also considered a very wise and intellectually gifted god. He was strong, fiery, bright, and hardworking. PowersĪs the god of sight, Helios’ powers were immense. It was also believed that the sun god sailed in a large golden cup around the northerly Oceans of the world. After he was woken up by the rooster, he began his journey by driving the sun from east to west on a daily basis. Helios’ importance in ancient Greece (particularly on the island of Rhodes) was quite pronounced because he was seen as the bringer of life and daylight. In reference to his traits, the rayed headdress was also an important symbol of the solar deity. The names of his four horses are Pyrois (“the firey one”), Aethon (“blazing”), Eos (“belonging to the dawn”), and Phlegon (“burning”).Īnother very important symbol of Helios was his whip and a globe (or a golden cup). Almost all the time, he is shown with his four-horse chariot (a golden chariot). His crown was made of shinning arrows or aureole. The ancient Greeks depicted Helios as a very young and handsome man with a radiant crown. Helios family tree Depictions, Appearance and Symbols From his numerous extramarital affairs, the solar deity gave birth to likes of Phethusa, Phaeton, Heliades (daughters of Helios), Aeetes, Charites, and Lampeta.
He married Perse and went on to have numerous children, including – Circe, Aeetes, Perses, and Pasiphae. Theia, on the other hand, was a divine deity of light, beauty and precious metals. Hyperion, a Titan in charge of light and wisdom, was believed to be one of the four pillars that kept the heavens (Uranus) above the earth (Gaia). As a result, he could be considered the brother of Eos (the goddess of dawn) and Selene (the goddess of the Moon).īoth parents of Helios were offspring of Uranus (Father Sky) and Gaia (Earth). Helios was born to the Titans Hyperion (‘the High One’) and Theia (‘divine’). Being the deity that literally personified the Sun, he had many epithets including “The One High Up” ( Superus) ‘the all-seeing’ ( Panoptes) Elector (which means radiant or beaming) and Elektor Hyperion (“the radiant”).Ĭonsidering the role that he played in the Greek pantheon, he was also been called Hekatos, a name which evokes a sense of “gracious” light. In ancient Greek religion, the deity Helios was in fact a Titan – one of the oldest solar deities for that matter. Mesopotamian equivalent: Utu Meaning of his name Symbols: horses, chariot, aureole, oxen (cattle), sunflowerĮpithets: ‘the radiant’, ‘gracious’ or ‘the all-seeing’ Children: Aeetes, Circe, Perses, Pasiphae, Phaethusa and Phaeton, Lampeta, Heliades
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