This simple lekythos shows a quadriga (four-horse carriage) in front view. Above the helmet of the charioteer appears the sun disk, which clearly identifies him as the sun god. The special feature of this vase is the depiction of Helios with a fully visible quadriga in front view. This is otherwise unknown on Greek vases.
Together with his sisters Selene (goddess of the moon) and Eos (goddess of the dawn), Helios is one of the cosmic gods who describe the course of the day and the night. In contrast to the Roman counterpart Sol, who only gained greater importance in the context of the ruler's cult during the Roman Empire, Helios played no role in the public cult of the Greeks. His cult always remained a private matter. (AVS)
Former Erhart Kästner Collection, Wolfenbüttel
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