Helios
The Sun God
Helios: Who was he?
Helios (also know as "Helius," or "Titan,") was the God of the Sun. He has been told to have ridden, from East to West, in a golden chariot, driven by horses around the Earth.
WHAT DID HELIOS LOOK LIKE?
In this picture, Helios is shown to be riding on his golden chariot across the Earth.
This is the statue that was built in Rhodes by Chares of Lindos to resemble Helios.
Here he is clothed/surrounded by shades of gold, orange, yellow, and red to resemble the sun.
Family
Helios' parents were two Titans: Theia and Hyperion. He was the brother of Eos (Goddess of Dawn) and Selene (Goddess of the Moon). He was the husband of Oceanid Perseis and Rhodes. He had an abundance of children, but a few special ones were Phaeton (who begged to ride his father's chariot, and when he did so, he crashed and set a large portion of the Earth on fire), Pasiphae, and Circe. A few of his grandchildren were Lindos, Lalysos, and Camiros.
So, what exactly did he do?
The All-Seeing Eye
Aphrodite (the Goddess of Love and Beauty) was having an affair with Ares (the God of War) and Helios acted as a spy and told her husband, Hephaestus (the God of Metalworking) about her betrayal to him. Helios was also told to have ridden in a golden boat underneath the Earth at night time.
You Mean, He Isn't Apollo?
Helios is very frequently confused with Apollo. Apollo was the God of many things, one of which being light. It's easy to mix the two Greek Gods up, but they were two different Gods, contrary to some people's belief.
Works Cited
Heritage History Academy. Helios, The Sun-God. Heritagehistory.com. Heritage History, 2014. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. <http://www.heritage-history.com/?c=read&author=harding&book=greek&story=helios>.
Morford, Mark P.O., and Robert J. Lenardon. Classical Mythology. N.p.: David Mckay Company, 1977. Print.
Mythography. "Helios in Greek Mythology." Mytholgraphy.com. Mythography.com, 2014. Web. 6 Nov. 2014. <http://www.mythography.com/myth/welcome-to-mythography/greek-gods/spirits-1/helios/>.
World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. "Helios." ABC Clio Solutions 2014: n. pag. ABC-CLIO eBook Collection. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. <http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Authentication/LogOn?returnUrl=%2F>.