Helios
godThe Titan who drove the sun chariot across the sky each day, providing light to the world. Helios saw everything that happened under the sun.
The Myth
Helios was the son of the Titan Hyperion and the Titaness Theia. Each dawn, he rose from the ocean in the east, driving a golden chariot drawn by four fiery horses across the sky. Each evening, he descended into the western ocean, where a golden cup carried him back to the east during the night.
Because Helios traveled above the entire world each day, he witnessed everything. It was Helios who told Demeter that Hades had abducted Persephone, and Helios who revealed Aphrodite's affair with Ares to Hephaestus.
His most famous myth involves his son Phaethon, who begged to drive the sun chariot for a day. Helios reluctantly agreed, but Phaethon could not control the immortal horses. The chariot veered wildly, scorching the earth (creating the deserts) and nearly destroying the world. Zeus was forced to strike Phaethon down with a thunderbolt to save the earth.
Parents
Hyperion and Theia
Children
Phaethon, Circe, Aeetes
Symbols
Fun Fact
The element helium was named after Helios because it was first discovered in the sun's spectrum before being found on Earth.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth: