"We came soon enough to the lovely island of #Helios. Here were the fine broad-browed herds, here were the plentiful fat flocks of Hyperion [Helios]."
Homer, Odyssey 12. 261
🎨 Helios and #Odysseus depicted on an oil lamp, Antikensammlung #Munich
"She [Gaia] prayed to the Titan #Helios with submissive voice: she begged of him one red hot ray, that with its heating fire she might melt the petrified water of Zeus, by pouring his kindred radiance over frozen Typhon."
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 2. 543
🎨 Roman silver relief of Sol from Pessinus in Anatolia, dated 3rd century CE. Today in the British Museum.
"Helios, the myth tells us [...] caused the water which had overflowed it [the island of Rhodes] to disappear. But the true explanation is that [...] the island was still like mud and soft, Helios dried up the larger part of its wetness and filled the land with living creatures."
🎨 Red-figure vase painting of #Helios in a chariot drawn by two #Erotes.
"Helios (the Sun), who is watchman of both gods and men [...] You [Helios] with your beams look down from the bright upper air (aitheros) over all the earth and sea."
Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter
🪷 28 July is Pythia day, honoring the Oracle of #Delphi which #Antinous saw in 128 AD. He probably looked similar to this #Apollo-#Helios figure by #FredericLeighton. Today is a good day to try scrying and light incense in memory of the women who were #Delphic priestesses. 🪷
A magnificent marble bust of #Helios, the ancient Greek sun god, that was unearthed at the ancient Agora of Athens in 1970. The holes were used for the attachment of a sun ray crown.
🎨 2nd century CE, Ancient Agora Museum. #Athens, Greece
"And there grew up from the watery wave this island, and great Helios who begets the fierce rays of the sun, holds her in his dominion, that ruler of the horses breathing fire.
There long ago he lay with Rhodes and begot seven sons, endowed beyond all men of old with genius of thoughtful mind."
Pindar, Olympian Ode 7
(Imagined dialogue) "Helios! Did you let Phaethon borrow the chariot AGAIN?!?! What have you done?!?! Zeus is not going to be happy about this happening again, and we're going to have to take the chariot back in for repairs!" #PostcardsFromTheAnthropocene#hatwave#greece
In Greek mythology, #Phaethon was the son of #Helios, the sun #god. One day, Phaeton asked his father to drive the chariot of the sun of through the heavens for a single day. Like many a new teenage driver, Phaeton was unable to control the horses of the sun chariot (too much horsepower), which came too near the earth and began to scorch it. As a result, law enforcement (i.e. Zeus) hurled a thunderbolt at Phaethon, and cause him to crash his chariot into the river. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Phaethon-Greek-mythology
Four steeds pull the chariot bearing the sun god #Helios, surrounded by the 12 signs of the zodiac. Helios and the zodiac appear in at least seven synagogues from about 400 to 500 CE.
🎨 Floor #mosaic in the ancient Sepphoris Synagogue, Israel. Photo: Gabi Laron/Courtesy Zeev Weiss.
"And there the children of dark #Nyx (Night) have their dwellings, #Hypnos (Sleep) and #Thanatos (Death), awful gods. Glowing #Helios (the #Sun) never looks upon them with his beams, neither as he goes up into heaven, nor as he comes down from heaven."
Hesiod, Theogony 758
🎨 Detail of Sol Invictus on a Roman marble relief.
It's only four days until the #SummerSolstice, the longest day of the year and thus the longest work day for #Helios. In Athens, it will last 14 hours, 48 minutes and 07 seconds.
Boreas and Helios had a contest: whoever could strip a traveller of his clothes would win.
"Boreas blew with all his might, but the traveller only wrapped his cloak around him more tightly. Helios shone with all his warmth. The traveller took off one garment after another, and at last bathed in a stream naked."
Aesop, Fables
But if one may guess where there is nothing to go by, #Poseidon 6 Helios might have been rivals. And maybe #Helios was vexed at the boy travelling about in the sea and wished that he should travel among the constellations instead.
Aelian, On Animals 14. 28
🎨 Helios & #Nerites by Sinita for the story "Milk Sea", a retelling of Aelian's fable:
There are many famous revenge stories in #GreekMythology but none so impressive to young Aimée as Euripides' version of #Medea. In the Argonautika, #Hera asks #Aphrodite to make Medea fall in love with Iason to ensure her aid to obtain the golden fleece. After betraying her own family, Medea leaves with the Argonauts, helping them not only with the golden fleece but also with Talos, the bronze automaton built by #Hephaistos to protect the island of #Crete.
But #Medea doesn't stop there. She kills her own children, despite the pain it will put her through, to hurt Iason. Revelling in his pain from a flying chariot provided to her by her grandfather #Helios, Medea takes her childrens' bodies with her to bury them in #Hera's sanctuary far away in Akraia, refusing to let Iason hold them. She prophesises a bitter end for him and proceeds to make her escape to #Athens in the divine chariot.