Apollo

**Apollo** is a god in Greek mythology, and one of the Twelve Olympians. He is the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. He is the god of healing, medicine, archery, music, dance, poetry, prophecy, knowledge, light and the sun. He is the leader of the Muses. He also is a god of prophecy, and his Oracle at Delphi is very important. He also is the god of justice. During the 5th century BC, Apollo became also known as the god of Sun, becoming one with the god Helios, and getting the name Phoebus. He is depicted as a handsome young man, wearing a laurel wreath and playing the lyre or kithara. It is known as his symbol. His other symbols include the raven.

## Myths about Apollo 
Apollo, unlike most other Greek gods, was called 'Apollo' by the Romans too. He was one of the Twelve Olympians, some of the most important gods in Greek mythology, and he was very popular. Because of this, there are many myths about him.

### Birth of Apollo 
Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were the children of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and the goddess Leto. Zeus' wife, the queen of the gods Hera, punished all the women who had children with Zeus, especially Leto because it was predicted that she was going to bear Zeus a son dearer than Ares, and stopped Leto from giving birth by watching the skies and land, setting various gods to keep an eye out and stop Leto from reaching any safety. or that Apollo slays Python.

Though there are myths attributing the birthplace Artemis to other locations. Usually both twins but at the least Apollo was born on the island of Delos, which was occasionally called the island of Ortygia before the twins' births. According to Hyginus, "[Ortygia] used to wander over the sea."

So Leto rested under a palm tree or clung to an olive tree, — memorialising the event with the Pythian games

The Pythia was a priestess, or oracle, who would prophesy.  She was once chosen from the local young maidens, but then a Thessalian man called Echecrates kidnapped and raped her, so a law was passed that henceforth the Pythia was to be an older woman dressed as a virgin. Other personnel of the temple included two priests that were chosen from the leading citizens of Delphi. They looked after the sanctuary and were in charge of the Pythian Games.

### Daphne, the Laurel Tree 
Apollo was struck by love for the nymph Daphne. He chased her, but she did not reciprocate his care and ran from him. To get away, she begged for help from the gods (in some myths from Zeus, in others from her father Peneus); she was transformed into a laurel tree. Still in love, Apollo took the laurel tree as one of his symbols, creating the story for the laurel wreath. When Apollo went looking for them, it looked like they had walked into the ranch instead of out. In some translations, Hermes gives the cows shoes and they leave no tracks at all. 

Apollo divined the thief's location and accused Hermes. The baby god attempted and failed to trick him, and when Apollo took him in front of all the gods tried to lie and act innocent, but at last when Hermes showed Apollo the lyre he had created, Apollo happily let the baby keep the cows in exchange for the instrument. Hermes also made a syrinx, which Apollo wanted as well upon hearing it, offering in exhange the golden wand he held while herding. But in exchange for the syrinx, Hermes wanted both the wand and to learn divination. So Apollo gave him the wand that would come to be known as the caduceus and taught him the art of divining by pebbles. 

## References 
## Primary Sources
* Callimachus, *Hymn to Delos*
* Homer, *Hymn to Apollo*
* Ovid, *Metamorphoses*
* ''Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks on Greek Mythology*
* Homer, *Hymn 4, To Hermes*

## Other websites
* The Theoi Project, *Apollon*
* The Theoi Project, *Artemis*
* The Theoi Project, *Leto''