Helios

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Minor gods

Helios

Helios was one of the Titans, son of Hyperion and Theia. He was the personification of the Sun and his sisters were the goddesses Selene (the Moon) and Eos (the Dawn). He drove the chariot of the sun across the sky on a daily basis, as it was pulled by horses named Pyrois, Aeos, Aethon and Phlegon. In later times, Helios was considered being the god of light, Apollo, although sometimes they would still be thought of as distinct deities; after all, Helios was a Titan, while Apollo was an Olympian. He was married to either Perse or Clymene, and had a number of children; they included the Charites, Phaeton, Circe, Aeetes, Pasiphae, Heliadae and Heliades.

Helios did not play a major part in Greek mythology, as he was eventually replaced by Apollo. However, one of the best known stories around Helios revolves around his son Phaeton, who tried to drive his father's chariot; however, he lost control and set the earth on fire. He also appears in the Homeric Epic, the Odyssey, in which Odysseus and his men reached an island dedicated to the god. There, Odysseus' men, starving, killed some of the cattle and Helios was infuriated; he complained to Zeus and threatened that he would take the sun and make it shine in the Underworld. So, Zeus destroyed the ship of Odysseus with a lightning bolt, killing of all of the men except for Odysseus.

Helios Is also called Sol.




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