![]() ![]() (Capitoline Museums / CC BY-SA 3.0 ) Helios and his Daily Journey Across the Sky ![]() Roman copy after a Hellenistic original dating back to between the 3rd and 2nd century BC. Alexander the Great and the Roman emperors Vespasian and Nero all desired to be seen as incarnations of a sun god.Īlexander the Great depicted as Helios, the ancient Greek sun god. Some notable historic figures also took on the likeness of the Greek sun god in their portraits. Coins from Rhodes also presented their patron deity for centuries. It was constructed between 304 and 280 BC, but toppled over during an Earthquake in either 228 or 226 BC. This massive standing figure was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The most famous example of Helios in art, however, was the Colossus of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes straddling over the harbor, the 1886 painting by Ferdinand Knab. He’s also represented in some Heracles scenes on 6th century BC black-figure and 5th century BC red-figure pottery. For example, Helios is depicted on a red-figure calyx-krater from about 430 BC, in which boys symbolizing the stars fall towards the ocean as he approaches. The image of the sun god Helios has been identified in several examples of Greek pottery dating to the 5th and 6th centuries BC. His chariot is drawn by four-winged horses, or sometimes dragons, and he is sometimes accompanied by one or both of his sisters. Usually the sun god is shown riding his golden chariot at the edge or in the background of someone else’s scene. Bright rays beam dazzlingly from him, and his bright locks streaming from the temples of his head gracefully enclose his far-seen face: a rich, fine-spun garment glows upon his body and flutters in the wind: and stallions carry him.” “As he rides in his chariot, he shines upon men and deathless gods, and piercingly he gazes with his eyes from his golden helmet. The poet who authored the 31st Homeric Hymn presents a beautiful description of the sun deity’s appearance in artwork: A simpler Greek symbol for Helios is a large, haloed eye. Within ancient Greek depiction the sun god Helios is usually clothed in a garment fit for a god. Generally depicted as a young man wearing a crown of the sun’s rays, or with bright, curly hair, his piercing eyes reflect the legends of his all-seeing gaze. ![]() Helios appeared in all kinds of Greek art. (British Museum / CC BY-SA 4.0 ) Helios in Art – How Did the Ancients Depict the Greek Sun God? Helios the sun god of Greek mythology on a red-figure calyx-krater from circa 430 BC. Meanwhile, two of his nymph daughters, Lampetia and Phaethusa, were in charge of overseeing his cattle on Thrinacia. Three of the main cities, Ialysos, Cameiros, and Lindos, are said to be named for three of his sons. These sons were said to have been smarter and stronger than any other men and soon became the rulers of Rhodes. The sun god also had seven sons with Rhode, and a daughter named Electryone. Phaethon was his son born from Helios’ relationship with Clymene and he had three (or five) daughters with her, known collectively as the Heliades. His two sons with Perse were King Aietes (Aeete) of Kolchis (Colchis) and King Perses of Persia. The Colossus of Rhodes: Ancient Greek Mega Statue.Pasiphae: Daughter of the Sun, Wife of a King, and Mother of the Minotaur.His daughters with Perse include the famed sorceresses Circe, a lover to Odysseus, and Pasiphae, King Minos of Crete’s wife. Within the legends of Greek mythology, the lovers of the god Helios include Perse, an Oceanid water-nymph whom some sources call his wife, and Clymene, as well as the nymphs Crete and Rhodes. That role would gradually be usurped over time. Born, or created, in what is called the Golden Age of Greek Mythology, Helios was responsible for bringing light to the world as the god of the sun. His sisters were Selene (the Moon) and Eos (Dawn). Helios’ parents were the Titans Hyperion, god of light, and Theia, goddess of sight. ( Public domain ) Titans, Nymphs, Kings, and Oceanids: Helios’ Extensive Family Nevertheless, Helios the sun god was generally depicted as existing in the background, bearing witness to everything going on both on Earth and in the heavens as he made sure to follow his daily routine.ĭetail from card 44 of the Mantegna Tarocchi, depicting Helios the sun god of Greek mythology and his chariot, from the Uffizi gallery in Florence. He appeared in artwork riding his horse-drawn chariot across the sky and was a firsthand witness to several major events in the lives of other gods and goddesses. Until his role was usurped by a newer god, Helios was the deity of the life-giving, season-changing sun. An unpunished second-generation Titan of Greek mythology, Helios was a deity who was important, but not always recognized for his powers. ![]()
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