Apollo and Helios

[Jona Lendering]

In the Renaissance, perhaps earlier, Apollo was called a Sun God, and this is how we can sometimes read it in books on ancient mythology. However, the Greeks made a distinction: Helios was not identical to Apollo (e.g., the Iliad). Does anyone know when the two deities became one?

[TITVS SABATINVS AQVILIVS]

HELIOS EQUATED WITH APOLLON:

"That Apollon is the same as the sun and that one god is furnished with two names is made clear to us by the mystical words spoken in the secret initiation rites and by the popular refrain which can be heard everywhere: The sun is Apollon and Apollon is the sun."
Greek Lyric V Folk Songs, Frag. 860 (from Heraclitus, Homeric Allegories)

"And you Helios (the Sun), who strike with your bright rays the everlasting heavenly vault, send on our enemies a far-shot arrow from your bowstring, oh ie Paian [Apollon]."
Greek Lyric V Timotheus, Frag 800 (from Macrobius, Saturnalia)

"Both Helios (the Sun) and Selene (the Moon) are closely associated with these [Apollon & Artemis], since they are the causes of the temperature of the air. And both pestilential diseases and sudden deaths are imputed to these gods [Apollon & Artemis]."
Strabo, Geography 14.1.6

"The name Apollo is Greek; they say that he is Sol (the Sun), and Diana they identify with Luna (the Moon); the word Sol being from solus, either because the sun ‘alone’ of all the heavenly bodies is of that magnitude, or because when the sun rises all the stars are dimmed and it ‘alone’ is visible."
Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2.27

"You say that Sol the Sun and Luna the Moon are deities, and the Greeks identify the former with Apollo and the latter with Diana [Artemis]." Cicero, De Natura Deorum 3.19

Anyway, Zeus, Helios and Apollo (and then Mithras) according to Plato are the same and at the same time, different proceeding aspects of the Ultimate Form, the Absolute Good, the One who leans on them in his action towards the worlds below, since the One is the immobile supreme and only Divinity and acts by his own emanations (hypostasis)

The same is confirmed by the Emperor Iulianus in his "Hymn to King Helios" where he still, in the half of the IV century CE, distinguishes Helios and Apollo, telling us that "they sit side by side".

So the answer could be: never and always...

Vale,

[Comerus Gallus]

In Revelation he is the Apocalyptical god of destruction that shall bring up one of the plague & come from hell, I think in heb. is Abadon & gr. Apollion, Apollon etc.

[hoplite14gr]

The rigid categorization of the gods attributes and patronage is more a product of 19th century scholar Jonah.
Apollo for example could have different properties form city state to city state.
The ascendance of the "solar dieties" starts arround 1100 BC.
There is an increase of Solar Symbols in pottery and temples not to mention shield devices.

The Delphic Apollo is identified with the sun roughly 800 B.C.
It is clearly established arround 600 B.C.

I believe P DECHARME's Greek mythology can help you in your quest.
It has good etymology of the god's name too

The root has to do with light (SELLAS achaic or OOLLAS aeolic )
Kind rehards

[DanM]

I know thisi is an old topic, but something I read on this was from the play Phaeton, and there was a quote something like, he has died because of the god helios, who is called by men as Apollo (here probably using the etymology, the destroyer)

[Comerus Gallus]

I know thisi is an old topic, but something I read on this was from the play Phaeton, and there was a quote something like, he has died because of the god helios, who is called by men as Apollo (here probably using the etymology, the destroyer)

Wich fits well to the apocalyptical heb. or aramaic meaning :wink: ...

good to know Dan!...thank you

[Jona Lendering]

So the answer could be: never and always...

Hey, that's strange: for one reason or another I have never seen the initial reply. Belated laudes!

[SigniferOne]

I think that Apollo represented the Sun, and Helios was literally the sun, the actual object. Thus while Apollo represents sunlike qualities of brilliance, sunny power, Helios is the literal thing itself. Helios wasn't a god but a personification. I can't seem to remember any temples whatsoever made to Helios, or religious addresses or anything.