Hyperion was one of the Titans, son of Uranus and Gaia. He represented light, wisdom and watchfulness. He was the father of the sun, the moon, and the dawn. In some early texts, the sun is mentioned as Helios Hyperion; however, in later texts, including Homer's and Hesiod's writings, Hyperion and Helios are two different deities, the latter being a physical representation of the sun. Hyperion is not mentioned in the Titanomachy, the War that resulted in the overthrow of the Titans and the start of the era of the Olympians.
Hyperion was married to his sister, Theia, and they had three children, Helios (the sun), Selene (the moon) and Eos (the dawn). He was considered one of the four pillars that hold the heavens and the earth apart, and since his daughter was dawn, he was probably the pillar of the east. The other three pillars were his brothers Coeus (pillar of the north), Crius (pillar of the south), and Iapetus (pillar of the west). These four Titans were the ones that held their father Uranus in place, while Cronus castrated him with a sickle.
See Also: Titans, Uranus, Gaia, Helios, Theia, Coeus, Crius, Iapetus