In ancient times, they treated the sun and its patrons with special respect. People addressed the Higher Powers on a daily basis with gratitude for the coming of a new day. For the sun, the Greeks were responsible for the two gods: Apollo and Helios. Each of them has its own specific history and possibilities . They erected temples and sculptures, where they placed various gifts.
Greek sun god Apollo
The father of this god is Zeus, and the mother of the goddess Latona. He was born on the island of Delos, where his mother was hiding from the jealous Hera. According to the legends, at the time of Apollo's appearance, the whole island was filled with bright sunlight. He was the twin brother of the goddess of hunting Artemis. The Greeks considered Apollo not only a patron saint of the sun, but of art, and also a god of the devil and prophet.
Even in his childhood, the Greek god sun killed the giant snake Python, after which he established the Pythian games. Zeus did not like it at all and for his independence Apollo had to wait two times for mortals. For the killing of the serpent, Zeus sent him to serve as a shepherd to the king, and afterwards, together with Poseidon, they worked for the Trojan king. The Greeks considered Apollo an excellent musician, and one day he won a competition with the satyr Marcia. Using arrows, he killed other gods and sometimes innocent people. Possessed Apollo healing abilities.
They depicted Apollo as a handsome, stately young man. In his hands he could have a lyre or an onion. The sacred plants are laurel and cypress. As for animals, for the sun god, it's a wolf, a swan, a raven and a mouse. The main place where they worshiped Apollo was the Delphic Temple. There were various festivals and competitions dedicated to this deity.
The Greek god of the sun Helios
The parents of this deity were the titans Hyperion and Fairy. It was believed that he appeared much earlier than the Olympic gods, so he was high above them. From there he observed people and other gods. Many considered him a gossip, as he told secrets and pitted the gods with each other. In ancient Greeks, the sun god Helios also answered the course of time. He lives on the eastern side of the Ocean in a beautiful palace. Every day he wakes up from the screams of a rooster, who is considered his sacred bird. Then, on his chariot drawn by four fiery horses, he begins to move across the sky to the west side, where he also had possessions. With the onset of darkness, the ancient sun god returned home on the ocean in a golden bowl made by Hephaestus. Several times at the behest of Zeus had to retreat from his schedule. For example, on the ground for three days it was dark when the wedding night was at Zeus and Alkmeny.
Most often, Apollo was portrayed with the rays of the sun around his head and in his chariot. In his hands, he usually holds a whip. There are also options where the sun god has burning eyes, and on his head is a helmet made of gold. Exist
At the entrance to the Rhodes port was a famous statue of this god, called the Colossus of Rhodes. Its height was 35 m, and it was built 12 years. Made it from copper and iron. In the hands of Helios held a torch, which served as a beacon for seafarers. In 50 years it collapsed because of a strong earthquake.