Heliades

For the moth genus of the family Pyralidae, see Heliades (moth). For another set of Helios' children, see Heliadae.

In Greek mythology, the Heliades (Ancient Greek: Ἡλιάδες means 'daughters of the sun') also called Phaethontides^[1] (meaning "daughters of Phaethon") were the daughters of Helios and Clymene, an Oceanid nymph.

Heliades by Rupert Bunny, 1920s

The Sisters of Phaeton Transformed into Poplars by Santi di Tito (2nd half of 16th century)

Names

According to one version recorded by Hyginus, there were seven Heliades: Merope, Helie, Aegle, Lampetia, Phoebe, Aetherie and Dioxippe.^[2] Aeschylus's fragmentary Heliades^[3] names Phaethousa and Lampetia, who are otherwise called daughters of Neaera.^[4] Homer in the Odyssey gives their names as Phaethusa (Φαέθουσα) and Lampetia (Λαμπετίην); a scholion adds Aegle (Αἴγλην).^[5]

Mythology

Their brother, Phaëthon, died after attempting to drive his father's chariot (the sun) across the sky. He was unable to control the horses and fell to his death (according to most accounts, Zeus struck his chariot with a thunderbolt to save the Earth from being set afire). The Heliades grieved for four months and the gods turned them into poplar trees and their tears into amber.^[6] According to some sources, their tears (amber) fell into the river Eridanus, in which Phaethon had fallen.^[7]

According to Hyginus, the Heliades were turned to poplar trees because they yoked the chariot for their brother without their father Helios' permission.^[8]