A relief sculpture of Helios, the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology in the Tympanum of Salisbury House on Victoria Street in Douglas.
"Tympanum - The surface between a lintel and the arch above it, or within a pediment."
Source: Pevsener's Architectural Glossary (ISBN:978-0-300-22368-2)
In Greek Mythology, Helios, was considered a God by some, a Titan by others. He was the son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia and is the the personification of the Sun.
The Greeks did not know that the earth was round. They believed that is was flat, and that the sun moved over it each day from east to west. They believed that each morning Eos, the goddess of the Dawn, threw open the eastern gates of the sky, and the golden chariot of Helios the Sun rolled out.
Source: (
visit link)
"The Salisbury (originally the Sun) Douglas c1880 (first advertised as a hotel in 1881) RB 114/1989. The sun was one of the first buildings in the newly constructed Victoria Street, built in 1874. The richly decorated facade is easily missed, as this side of Victoria Street face is almost north and is usually in deep shade. The fine architectural metalwork is from the Gelling’s’ catalogue - the balconies on the first floor becoming balconettes on upper floors. Note how each floors windows are treated differently in a hierarchy reflecting each floor’s relative importance, the treatment of the soffit of the door arch, and the broken pediment on the roof. The tympanum above the door is of the sun personified - Helios driving his chariot across the Sky in his daily cycle. the front flatters to deceive, the plot is a shallow wedged shape."
Source: An Introduction to the Architecture of the Isle of Man by Patricia Tutt (ISBN 978-1-907945-10-6)
From the Greek-Gods.info website The Daily Journey of Helios:
"Morning by morning, Eos would travel up to Mount Olympus to announce her brother's glorious arrival. Soon Helios would approach the mountain with his winged golden chariot pulled by four horses of fire and the two siblings would depart for their daily journey across the sky.
While travelling from the land of the dawn to the land of heavens, Eos would gradually transform into Hemera (Day) and later on to Hespera (Evening). Upon arrival, Helios would hide himself in his golden cup and night fell upon the earth..this was the moment when his wife Selene, the goddess of The Moon, wouuld depart fro her own, nightly journey." (
visit link)
The Greeks did not know that the earth was round. They believed that is was flat
"Helios was described as a handsome young man crowned with the shining aureole of the Sun, who drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day to earth-circling Oceanus and through the world-ocean return to the East at night. In the Homeric Hymn to Helios, Helios is said to drive the golden chariot drawn by steeds (HH 31.4-15); and Pindar speaks of Helio’s “fire-darting steeds” (Olympia Ode 7.71). Still later, the horses were given fire related names: Pyrois, Aeos, Aethon, and Phlegon." (
visit link)
"It took great skill to drive the chariot on its long day’s journey. Helios had to guide it with much care, so as not to drive too near the earth and scorch it. The way during the morning was up a steep ascent. At noon the chariot reached the summit of the course, and began to descend toward the west. The way then was rough, and the descent so steep that the horses were in danger of falling headlong. But the journey was always finished in safety, and the weary horses entered the gates of the Evening.
There were two beautiful palaces for Helios, one in the east at the gates of the Dawn, and the other in the west at the gates of the Evening. To get from his western palace back to his palace at the gates of the Dawn, Helios, with his horses and the chariot of the Sun, was obliged to sail underneath the world during the night in a golden boat (cup) made by the god Hephaestus." (
visit link)