God
of:
Music,
poetry, light, prophecy, and medicine
Symbols: Lyre, bow and arrow, raven, laurel
Parents: Zeus and Leto
Children: Asclepius, Troilus, Orpheus
Spouse: none
Abode: Mount Olympus
Roman name: Apollo
Apollo is the Greek god of music, poetry, light, prophecy, and medicine. He is one of the Twelve Olympian gods who live on Mount Olympus. Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, is his twin sister. He was the patron god of the city of Delphi.
How was Apollo usually pictured?
Apollo was pictured as a handsome athletic youth with curly hair. He usually had a laurel wreath about his head that he wore in honor of his love for Daphne. Sometimes he was shown holding a bow and arrow or a lyre. When traveling, Apollo rode a chariot pulled by swans.
What special powers and skills did he have?
Like all the Olympian gods, Apollo was an immortal and powerful god. He had many special powers including the ability to see into the future and power over light. He could also heal people or bring illness and disease. When in battle, Apollo was deadly with the bow and arrow.
Symbols: Lyre, bow and arrow, raven, laurel
Parents: Zeus and Leto
Children: Asclepius, Troilus, Orpheus
Spouse: none
Abode: Mount Olympus
Roman name: Apollo
Apollo is the Greek god of music, poetry, light, prophecy, and medicine. He is one of the Twelve Olympian gods who live on Mount Olympus. Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, is his twin sister. He was the patron god of the city of Delphi.
How was Apollo usually pictured?
Apollo was pictured as a handsome athletic youth with curly hair. He usually had a laurel wreath about his head that he wore in honor of his love for Daphne. Sometimes he was shown holding a bow and arrow or a lyre. When traveling, Apollo rode a chariot pulled by swans.
What special powers and skills did he have?
Like all the Olympian gods, Apollo was an immortal and powerful god. He had many special powers including the ability to see into the future and power over light. He could also heal people or bring illness and disease. When in battle, Apollo was deadly with the bow and arrow.
Birth
of Apollo
When the Titan goddess Leto became pregnant by Zeus, Zeus' wife Hera became very angry. Hera placed a curse on Leto that prevented her from having her babies (she was pregnant with twins) anywhere on the earth. Leto eventually found the secret floating island of Delos, where she had the twins Artemis and Apollo.
In order to keep Apollo safe from Hera, he was fed nectar and ambrosia after being born. This helped him to grow to a full-size god in one day. Apollo didn't mess around once he was grown. Only a few days later he fought a dragon named Python at Delphi. Hera had sent the dragon to hunt down and kill Leto and her children. Apollo slew the dragon with magical arrows he got from Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths.
The Oracle of Delphi
After defeating the Python, Apollo became the patron god of the city of Delphi. Since he was the god of prophecy, he established the Oracle of Delphi to tell the future to his followers. People in the Greek world would travel long distances to visit Delphi and hear their future from the oracle. The oracle also played a major role in many Greek plays and stories about the Greek gods and heroes.
The Trojan War
During the Trojan War, Apollo fought on the side of Troy. At one point, he sent diseased arrows into the Greek camp making many of the Greek soldiers sick and weak. Later, after the Greek hero Achilles defeated the Trojan Hector, Apollo guided the arrow that struck Achilles in the heel and killed him.
Daphne and the Laurel Tree
One day Apollo insulted Eros, the god of love. Eros decided to get his revenge by shooting Apollo with a golden arrow causing him to fall in love with the nymph Daphne. At the same time, Eros shot Daphne with a lead arrow to cause her to reject Apollo. As Apollo chased Daphne through the woods, she called out to her father to save her. Her father then changed her into a laurel tree. From that day forward, the laurel tree became sacred to Apollo.
When the Titan goddess Leto became pregnant by Zeus, Zeus' wife Hera became very angry. Hera placed a curse on Leto that prevented her from having her babies (she was pregnant with twins) anywhere on the earth. Leto eventually found the secret floating island of Delos, where she had the twins Artemis and Apollo.
In order to keep Apollo safe from Hera, he was fed nectar and ambrosia after being born. This helped him to grow to a full-size god in one day. Apollo didn't mess around once he was grown. Only a few days later he fought a dragon named Python at Delphi. Hera had sent the dragon to hunt down and kill Leto and her children. Apollo slew the dragon with magical arrows he got from Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths.
The Oracle of Delphi
After defeating the Python, Apollo became the patron god of the city of Delphi. Since he was the god of prophecy, he established the Oracle of Delphi to tell the future to his followers. People in the Greek world would travel long distances to visit Delphi and hear their future from the oracle. The oracle also played a major role in many Greek plays and stories about the Greek gods and heroes.
The Trojan War
During the Trojan War, Apollo fought on the side of Troy. At one point, he sent diseased arrows into the Greek camp making many of the Greek soldiers sick and weak. Later, after the Greek hero Achilles defeated the Trojan Hector, Apollo guided the arrow that struck Achilles in the heel and killed him.
Daphne and the Laurel Tree
One day Apollo insulted Eros, the god of love. Eros decided to get his revenge by shooting Apollo with a golden arrow causing him to fall in love with the nymph Daphne. At the same time, Eros shot Daphne with a lead arrow to cause her to reject Apollo. As Apollo chased Daphne through the woods, she called out to her father to save her. Her father then changed her into a laurel tree. From that day forward, the laurel tree became sacred to Apollo.
Interesting
Facts About the Greek God Apollo
- Apollo and Poseidon once attempted to overthrow Zeus. As punishment, they were forced to work for mortals for a time. It was during this time that they built the great walls of Troy.
- He was the leader of the Muses; goddesses which provided the inspiration for science, art, and literature.
- When Queen Niobe mocked his mother Leto for only having two children, Apollo and Artemis took their revenge by killing all fourteen of Niobe's children.
- The god Hermes created the lyre, a stringed musical instrument, for Apollo.
- Once Apollo and Pan had a music contest. When King Midas said he preferred Pan, Apollo turned his ears into those of a donkey.
Activities
- Take a ten question quiz about this page.
- Listen to a recorded reading of this page:
There
are some very famous myths about the Oracle of Delphi. Delphi itself
has many legends centered around it- like being the center of the
world; Apollo's sacred city. But the legend about how the chain of
Oracles started- around 1400 BC- says that the Oracle of Delphi had
godly power.
Apollo was a popular god. There were always people bringing him gifts and praying to him, and he was just about as exhausted by the people as he was honored. He simply could not keep giving these prophecies- it was taking too much out of him. Apollo decided he needed someone to speak the prophecies for him, to be his voice to the people, to share his power of the future... someone like an Oracle. The Greeks had many Oracles, but never one that Apollo himself gave power to. Apollo shared his power with a maiden that would begin the line of the Oracles of Delphi. It came with a catch, though: the woman would basically live in the temple, always offering prophecies that she could never answer yes or no to. Her prophecies were often vague. It was hard to tell what the Pythia meant.
Other myths state that Apollo had just killed a python when the oracle chain began. He had rid the world of the horrible monster causing chaos on earth. After Apollo slew the demon, he cast the body into a river. He then brought his high priestess to breath in the fumes coming from a chasm that was the "center of the universe" and she went into a frenzied state, but she could then see the future. He called this priestess, and the Oracles to come the Pythia, in honor of the python he had slain. It was said that the fumes coming from the chasm were the python's remains.
Another myth about Apollo's temple at Delphi was that, along with the Oracle, one of the most important things there was a stone. The stone was supposedly the rock that Kronos, lord of the titans, swallowed whole instead of baby Zeus.
As myth goes, when Rhea ( a titian goddess) gave birth to her six children- the Olympian gods- Kronos took them and swallowed them whole because he heard a prophecy that his son would overthrow him. He wasn't going to let that happen. Rhea was disgusted by this, so when she gave birth to Zeus, her youngest, she fed Kronos a rock wrapped in blankets and hid Zeus away until adulthood. Being immortal gods, Zeus's siblings (Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia) were growing up in Kronos's stomach. When Zeus was fully grown, he tricked Kronos into drinking a mixture of mustard and wine. He regurgitated his children and the rock that Rhea fed him when he thought he was eating Zeus. Legend has it, that very rock was and still is at the temple of Apollo at Delphi.
There are some pretty strange myths about the Oracle of Delphi. Some locals may still tell you they are true---that the Oracle's spirit was reincarnated from life to life...
Apollo was a popular god. There were always people bringing him gifts and praying to him, and he was just about as exhausted by the people as he was honored. He simply could not keep giving these prophecies- it was taking too much out of him. Apollo decided he needed someone to speak the prophecies for him, to be his voice to the people, to share his power of the future... someone like an Oracle. The Greeks had many Oracles, but never one that Apollo himself gave power to. Apollo shared his power with a maiden that would begin the line of the Oracles of Delphi. It came with a catch, though: the woman would basically live in the temple, always offering prophecies that she could never answer yes or no to. Her prophecies were often vague. It was hard to tell what the Pythia meant.
Other myths state that Apollo had just killed a python when the oracle chain began. He had rid the world of the horrible monster causing chaos on earth. After Apollo slew the demon, he cast the body into a river. He then brought his high priestess to breath in the fumes coming from a chasm that was the "center of the universe" and she went into a frenzied state, but she could then see the future. He called this priestess, and the Oracles to come the Pythia, in honor of the python he had slain. It was said that the fumes coming from the chasm were the python's remains.
Another myth about Apollo's temple at Delphi was that, along with the Oracle, one of the most important things there was a stone. The stone was supposedly the rock that Kronos, lord of the titans, swallowed whole instead of baby Zeus.
As myth goes, when Rhea ( a titian goddess) gave birth to her six children- the Olympian gods- Kronos took them and swallowed them whole because he heard a prophecy that his son would overthrow him. He wasn't going to let that happen. Rhea was disgusted by this, so when she gave birth to Zeus, her youngest, she fed Kronos a rock wrapped in blankets and hid Zeus away until adulthood. Being immortal gods, Zeus's siblings (Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia) were growing up in Kronos's stomach. When Zeus was fully grown, he tricked Kronos into drinking a mixture of mustard and wine. He regurgitated his children and the rock that Rhea fed him when he thought he was eating Zeus. Legend has it, that very rock was and still is at the temple of Apollo at Delphi.
There are some pretty strange myths about the Oracle of Delphi. Some locals may still tell you they are true---that the Oracle's spirit was reincarnated from life to life...
Epithets
Apollo
was in charge of so many things that, naturally, even his more famous
epithets are numerous. As a sun
god, he was called “Phoebus,” or “bright.” As a prophet, the
Greeks called him “Loxias,” or “The One Who Speaks Crookedly.”
As the god of music, he was known as the “Leader of the Muses.”
Finally, the places
of Apollo’s
birth and worship adorned him with three other appellations:
“Delian,” “Delphic,” and “Pythian.”
Apollo’s Birth and Sanctuaries · The Slaying of Python
Apollo
is the son of Zeus
and Leto.
As one of the numerous Zeus’s
lovers, his mother incurred the wrath of Hera,
who sent the dragon Python
to pursue Leto
throughout all lands and forbade her to give birth anywhere on solid
earth. Nobody would accept the pregnant Titaness, except for the
island of Delos, where Leto
first delivered Artemis
while balancing her body on an olive branch. Afterward, Artemis
helped her mother deliver Apollo
as well.
Fed
exclusively with nectar
and ambrosia,
in merely four days Apollo
grew strong and hungry for revenge. So, he went straight away to
Parnassus where Python
lived, and wounded the monster with his arrows. Python
managed to escape and shelter itself at Gaea’s
ancient sanctuary in Delphi.
Apollo
was so enraged that he dared to violate the sanctity of the site by
staining it with Python’s
blood. Zeus
ordered Apollo
to cleanse himself, after which he returned to Delphi
and claimed the shrine to his name.
After
these events, Delos and Delphi
became sacred sites for the worship of Zeus,
Leto,
Artemis,
and, especially, Apollo.
The high priestess Pythia presided over the Temple of Apollo
at Delphi,
serving as its enigmatic oracle.
Apollo and Music
The
day he was born, Hermes
invented the lyre and stole Apollo’s
cattle. So as to appease his older brother after he found out what
happened, Hermes
offered Apollo
his new invention. Ever since then, the lyre became one of Apollo’s
most famous attributes, and he its most celebrated master.
Apollo and Marsyas
However,
Apollo’s
virtuosity would be challenged on at least three different occasions.
The first one to dare do such a thing was the least fortunate one,
the satyr Marsyas.
He wasn’t bad at all playing the aulos (the double flute), even
equaling Apollo’s
skill. However, he ultimately lost the contest, since, unlike Apollo,
he couldn’t sing while playing. As punishment, Marsyas
was hanged inside a cave and was subsequently flayed alive.
Apollo and Pan
Fortunately
for him, Pan
survived unscathed after challenging Apollo
and almost unanimously losing the contest. Midas,
however – the only judge who deemed that Pan
was the better player – got what he deserved: asses’ ears, since
he obviously lacked human ears for music in the first place.
Apollo and Cinyras
Cinyras,
the King of Cyprus and a great flute player, didn’t learn anything
from these two episodes. After losing his contest against Apollo,
he was either killed by the god or committed suicide.
Apollo’s Ill-Fated Love Affairs
Apollo
was loved by both gods and humans, women and men; and, more often
than not, he loved them back as well. However, as it often happens,
the most famous of his love affairs are the ones which didn’t end
well.
Apollo and Coronis
On
two occasions, a mortal got the better of the god. Coronis was
already pregnant with Apollo’s
son Asclepius,
when she fell in love with Ischys. A white crow informed Apollo
of this affair which enraged Apollo
so much that he ordered Artemis
to kill Coronis and burned the feathers of the crow. Crows are black
ever since.
Apollo and Marpessa
After
a while, Apollo
fell in love with Marpessa. Her lover Idas
had already went through hell to get her, even risking his own life
while abducting her. But, he didn’t back down even in front of
Apollo,
raising his bow and threatening him with an attack. Zeus
stopped this fight and gave Marpessa the chance to choose. She chose
Idas
– since she feared that Apollo
would stop loving her after she grows old.
Apollo and Cassandra
In
an attempt to seduce her, Apollo
gifted Cassandra,
the Trojan princess, the gift of prophecy. However, afterward she
backed out of the deal. Now, being a god, Apollo
wasn’t allowed to recall his gift. But, he thought of a cunning
idea to spoil it: he took away Cassandra’s
powers of persuasion. Ever since, nobody believes her – even though
her prophecies are always right.
Apollo and Daphne
Apollo’s
most famous love interest was Daphne,
a nymph who had once vowed to Artemis
to remain eternally innocent. Apollo,
however, fell for her and persistently stalked her, until one day
Daphne
couldn’t take it no more. She asked from her father, the river god
Peneus,
to be transformed into something else. And just as Apollo
was about to embrace her, she was – into a laurel tree. The god
swore to love her forever and, ever since, he wears a laurel wreath
as a token of his unhappy love.
Apollo and Cyparissus
Both
of Apollo’s
most beloved male lovers were transformed into plants as well. After
Cyparissus accidentally killed his pet-deer – which was gifted to
him by Apollo
– he asked his divine lover to let him be sorrowful forever. So,
Apollo
unwillingly transformed Cyparissus into a cypress tree.
Apollo and Hyacinthus
The
story of Hyacinthus
is even sadder. He was a favorite of Apollo
and he dearly loved the god back. This made Zephyrus, the West Wind –
a Hyacinthus’
admirer himself – so jealous that, when the pair was practicing in
the fields, he made Hyacinthus’
discus swerve back and mortally wound him on the head. However,
Apollo
didn’t allow Hades
to take all of Hyacinthus
to his realm: out of his spilled blood, the god created a flower
which bears his lover’s name to this day.
Sources
Apollo
appears throughout most of the Greek literature. Three of the
“Homeric Hymns” are dedicated to him: the 21st
and the 25th
are short ones, but the 3rd
is fairly long and beautiful. In Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” you
can find poetic accounts of Apollo’s
love affairs with Daphne,
Coronis,
and Hyacinthus,
as well as one of his musical
contest with Pan.
See
Also:
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