Helios
Helios was the Titan god who drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day — seeing everything that happened on earth from his vantage point above.
The Myth of Helios
Each dawn, Helios rose from his golden palace in the east, harnessing four fire-breathing horses — Pyrois, Aeos, Aethon, Phlegon — and driving his blazing chariot across the sky. At evening, he sailed back in a golden cup along the river Oceanus. Son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, brother of Selene and Eos, Helios saw everything from his vantage. He revealed Aphrodite's affair with Ares to Hephaestus, and told Demeter that Hades had abducted Persephone. His son Phaethon begged to drive the chariot and lost control; Zeus struck the boy down with a thunderbolt to save the earth. Helios owned the sacred cattle on Thrinacia that Odysseus's men slaughtered, dooming them all.
Parents
Hyperion and Theia
Symbols
Fun Fact
The element helium was named after Helios — 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. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Helios
⚡ godTitan god of the sun
The Titan who drove the sun chariot across the sky each day, providing light to the world. Helios saw everything that happened under the sun.
Phaethon
🗡 heroSon of Helios who drove the sun chariot
Phaethon was the son of Helios who insisted on driving the chariot of the sun and lost control, nearly burning the earth to ashes.
Helios
🏔 titanThe all-seeing Titan of the sun
The Titan who drove the sun chariot across the sky each day and saw everything that happened on earth below.
God of the Sun
💭 conceptSun, light, truth, cattle of the sun
Helios drives the sun chariot across the sky each day, and Apollo later inherited many solar associations.
Phaethon's Ride
💭 concepthubris, catastrophe
The myth of Helios's son who drove the sun chariot across the sky, lost control, and was struck down by Zeus to prevent the earth from burning.
Selene
⚡ godTitaness of the moon
Selene was the Titaness who drove the silver chariot of the moon across the night sky — she loved the mortal Endymion and visited him each night as he slept eternally.
Zeus
⚡ godKing of gods and men
Zeus was the king of the Olympian gods, ruler of the sky, wielder of the thunderbolt — the supreme deity whose authority held the divine and mortal orders together.
Zeus
⚡ godKing of the gods, sky, thunder, lightning, law, order
Supreme ruler of the Olympian gods and lord of the sky. Zeus overthrew his father Kronos and divided the world among his brothers.
Apollo
⚡ godGod of the sun, music, poetry, prophecy, healing, archery
God of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine beauty and was patron of the Oracle at Delphi.
Jupiter
⚡ godKing of gods, sky, thunder
Supreme deity of the Roman pantheon, equivalent to the Greek Zeus, ruling over gods and mortals from the heavens
Oenomaus
🗡 heroNone recorded
A king of Pisa who killed the suitors of his daughter Hippodamia in rigged chariot races until Pelops defeated him through trickery and divine favour
Pelops
🗡 herokingship
Son of Tantalus, restored to life by the gods with an ivory shoulder, who won his bride by cheating in a chariot race and cursed his line.