Helios

Helios was a character who appeared in the mythology of Ancient Greece. A member of the race of primordial giants known as Titans, he was the personification of the sun.

Description
Appearing as a beautiful youth whose head was enveloped by a glowing halo of solar light, he drove a golden chariot pulled by four fiery steeds across the heavens each day, thus bringing the day to an otherwise-dark world.

History
Helios was one of the second generation of Titans, his parents being Hyperion and Theia, and he was brother to the Titanesses Eos (the dawn) and Selene (the moon). He in turn sired many players in Greek mythology one of whom, his son Phaethon, was killed by Zeus. In this story, Phaethon asked his father to allow him to pilot his solar chariot, to which Helios reluctantly agreed. Subsequently losing control of the headstrong horses, Phaethon nearly set the entire world ablaze before Zeus struck the chariot down with a mighty thunderbolt, killing the poor unfortunate.

Helios also seems to have maintained close relations with many of the Olympian gods, as seen when he used his near-omniscience to spy for both the King of the Gods and Hephaestus, and successfully petitioned Zeus for aid on more than one occasion.