In Greek Mythology, Helios, is considered a God by some, a Titan by others. He was the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia and is the the personification of the Sun.
The Greeks did not know that the earth was round. They believed that is was flat, and that the sun moved over it each day from east to west. They believed that each morning Eos, the goddess of the Dawn, threw open the eastern gates of the sky, and the golden chariot of Helios the Sun rolled out.
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The Sun is the central star of our solar system.
The Sun is a yellow dwarf star, a hot ball of glowing gases at the heart of our solar system. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything - from the biggest planets to the smallest particles of debris in its orbit. The connection and interactions between the Sun and Earth drive the seasons, ocean currents, weather, climate, radiation belts and auroras. Though it is special to us, there are billions of stars like our Sun scattered across the Milky Way galaxy. (
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There is a depiction of Helios in the relief of the tympanum above the door of The Salisbury on Victoria Street in Douglas. The relief is of the Sun personified by Helios driving his chariot across the sky in his daily cycle.
Source: An Introduction to the Architecture of the Isle of Man by Patricia Tutt (ISBN 978-1-907945-10-6)
From the Greek-Gods.info website The Daily Journey of Helios:
"Morning by morning, Eos would travel up to Mount Olympus to announce her brother's glorious arrival. Soon Helios would approach the mountain with his winged golden chariot pulled by four horses of fire and the two siblings would depart for their daily journey across the sky.
While travelling from the land of the dawn to the land of heavens, Eos would gradually transform into Hemera (Day) and later on to Hespera (Evening). Upon arrival, Helios would hide himself in his golden cup and night fell upon the earth..this was the moment when his wife Selene, the goddess of The Moon, wouuld depart fro her own, nightly journey." (
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The Greeks did not know that the earth was round. They believed that is was flat
"Helios was described as a handsome young man crowned with the shining aureole of the Sun, who drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day to earth-circling Oceanus and through the world-ocean return to the East at night. In the Homeric Hymn to Helios, Helios is said to drive the golden chariot drawn by steeds (HH 31.4-15); and Pindar speaks of Helio’s “fire-darting steeds” (Olympia Ode 7.71). Still later, the horses were given fire related names: Pyrois, Aeos, Aethon, and Phlegon." (
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"It took great skill to drive the chariot on its long day’s journey. Helios had to guide it with much care, so as not to drive too near the earth and scorch it. The way during the morning was up a steep ascent. At noon the chariot reached the summit of the course, and began to descend toward the west. The way then was rough, and the descent so steep that the horses were in danger of falling headlong. But the journey was always finished in safety, and the weary horses entered the gates of the Evening.
There were two beautiful palaces for Helios, one in the east at the gates of the Dawn, and the other in the west at the gates of the Evening. To get from his western palace back to his palace at the gates of the Dawn, Helios, with his horses and the chariot of the Sun, was obliged to sail underneath the world during the night in a golden boat (cup) made by the god Hephaestus." (
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