The authority of the sun was not whole. The sun's power was far too great; no god would allow another god to possess complete authority over the sun.
Thus, the sun's authority had been divided into many portions. Every pantheon possessed one or several shares of authority related to the sun. The largest share belonged to Ra, the supreme god of the ancient Egyptian Pantheon.
And the Greek Pantheon's embodiment of the sun was the Sun Chariot.
Though it was merely a tiny fraction of the sun's authority, it was still a power coveted by the gods. Just that small portion could elevate one to the rank of chief god, perhaps even grant the power of a supreme god.
That was why Apollo had gone to such lengths to seize the divine office of the sun and obtain the Sun Chariot.
The Greek Sun Chariot had originally belonged to Helios, the sun god who truly drove the solar chariot.
Apollo was merely the god of light. Though he too was one of the powerful chief gods, light still fell far short of the sun in mythology.
Helios was depicted as a tall, imposing, handsome beardless man, draped in purple robes and crowned with a golden diadem radiating boundless light. Every day, he drove a solar chariot drawn by four fiery horses across the sky, bringing light to the world.
He had many lovers and many children. One of his lovers, Clytie, became a sunflower. He also had a famous son, Phaethon, who died because he tried to forcefully drive the Sun Chariot.
The power of the sun was not something just any god could wield, and Apollo, the god of light, was one of those capable of doing so.
That was one source of his confidence in seeking the sun's