The Heliades are figures in Greek mythology, as the daughters of Helios, the sun god. Their story is closely tied to a significant event involving their brother, leading to their transformation and enduring presence in mythological narratives. They appear in ancient texts, providing insight into the consequences of divine power and human ambition.
Who Were the Heliades?
The Heliades were the daughters of Helios and an Oceanid nymph named Clymene. While some accounts suggest their mother was Rhode, Clymene is more commonly cited in mythological sources. The number of Heliades varies across different ancient texts, with some listing three daughters, while others mention five or even seven. Common names include Phaethusa, Lampetie, and Aegle; others like Helie, Merope, Phoebe, Aetheria, and Dioxippe also appear.
The Tragic Tale of Phaethon
The most renowned myth involving the Heliades centers on their brother, Phaethon. Phaethon, seeking to prove his divine parentage, requested to drive his father Helios’s sun chariot across the sky for a single day. Despite Helios’s warnings about the power of the horses and the celestial path, Phaethon was insistent. Helios reluctantly granted his son’s wish, bound by an unbreakable oath.
Once Phaethon took the reins, his inexperience became apparent. The powerful horses, sensing the lack of their usual driver, veered wildly off course, causing widespread chaos across the Earth. The chariot plunged too close to the land, scorching vast regions and turning fertile areas into deserts, like the African continent. Rivers began to dry up, and the world was consumed by fire, prompting Mother Earth to cry out for intervention. To prevent further destruction, Zeus, the king of the gods, intervened by striking Phaethon down with a thunderbolt, sending his flaming body plummeting into the Eridanus River.
Their Transformation and Legacy
Following Phaethon’s tragic death, his sisters, the Heliades, were overcome with profound grief. They gathered along the banks of the Eridanus River and mourned their lost brother. They wept ceaselessly.
Moved by their sorrow, or in some accounts, as a punishment for their role in yoking the chariot, the gods took pity on the Heliades and transformed them. They were changed into black poplar trees, which stood along the riverbanks. Even in their arboreal form, their tears continued to flow, solidifying into drops of amber that fell into the Eridanus River. This myth explains the origin of amber, symbolizing their enduring grief and serving as a reminder of their brother’s fatal journey.