Helios - The Sun God of Greek Mythology - Greek Mythology in Comics - See U in History

Helios is the sun god in Greek mythology. He is a titan, son of the also titans Hyperion and Theia. His sister is Selene, the goddess personifying the moon. After being awakened by the rooster, the animal consecrated to the sun god, he commences his crossing. Every day, the god ascends in his chariot of fire, pulled by four powerful flying steeds, always ready to set off after the goddess Aurora, who announces the rising of a new day. Helios makes a huge crossing, starting at his palace in the east, ending in the western ocean. After plunging into the waters, the god lets his horses graze in the Elysian fields. During the night, the god returns to the east, sailing in a golden boat made in god Hephaestus' forges. During the crossing, Helios has a privileged view of the entire world around him. Therefore, he knows almost everything that happens under daylight. The god witnessed the abduction of Persephone by Hades, and caught Aphrodite sleeping with Ares, the god of war. But the sun god's brilliance was eclipsed by another deity, Apollo. In much of the Hellenic world, the worship of Helios was replaced by the god Apollo, the luminous one. The Olympian god even superseded Helios in most of the myths where the titan was a main character. The most famous myth of Helios is the one in which the god lets his son, Phaethion, drive the solar chariot. But even in this myth, the god lost his space to Phoebus Apollo. However, there is one place in Greece where the cult of Helios has always had great importance, the island of Rhodes. There, a huge bronze colossus was erected in honor of the god. This gigantic statue was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In ancient Rome, Helios was called Sol Invictus, undefeated sun, and was very prestigious among the soldiers of the legions. In honor of the god, scientists named one of the elements of the periodic table Helium. This, along with hydrogen, makes up a large part of the sun's chemical composition. Helios, the sun god, even though obscured by Apollo, still shines in the heavens, revealing the strength of the ancient titan.