Apollo | Greek Mythology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Silver Bow and Silver Arrows, Golden Sword Nicknames Lord of the Silver Bow, Slayer of Python, Phoebus, Smintheus, Pythius, He of the Golden Sword' Apollo (Ancient Greek: Ἀπόλλων) is the son of Zeus and Leto . His twin sister is Artemis . He was the God of the arts, music, healing, purification, prophecy, oracles, plague, poetry, civilization, the sun, truth, intelligence, logic, reason, and archery, he also showed men the art of medicine. He is famous for his oracle at Delphi . People traveled to it from all over the Greek world to divine the future. He is the only Olympian that does not have a Roman name. Contents Birth of Apollo Leto and her twins When Apollo's mother was in labor with him and his twin sister Artemis, she was looking for a place to give birth, however, Hera had made all land shun her so she was unable to find a place to give birth.

Hera was very sour towards her because Zeus was her children's father and Hera disliked that Zeus kept having children with other women and goddesses. But Poseidon took pity on Leto and showed her an island that was not attached to the sea floor so it technically was not considered land. So Leto traveled there and gave birth. The little floating island is called Delos . God of Prophecy Apollo was the god of prophecy he decided that he needed a place where mortals could come and ask questions to him and he would use his gift of prophecy to answer them. He found a perfect place called Pytho . The only bad part was that a terrible, giant snake called Python was living there and was terrorizing all the other living creatures there. So he killed the snake and renamed the place Delphi. He created his temple and the oracles spoke to the mortals prophecies in which Apollo would give to them to give to mortals. More about Apollo Eros was a very mischievous person and liked to cause all sorts of trouble. So one day he shot Apollo with a golden arrow to make him fall in love with a beautiful nymph named Daphne .

But Eros shot Daphne with a lead arrow making her feel hatred for Apollo. Apollo ran after her and she ran away. Daphne was frightened so she called to her father, Peneus , and he transformed her into a Laurel tree. As she turned into a tree, Apollo embraces her. Apollo, saddened by her running away from him, took some of the leaves and made a laurel wreath so that she would always be close to him.There is a version of this myth saying that Apollo caused this trouble with Eros. It says that he saw Eros playing with his bow, and he insulted him, telling him to "play with his own little bows and arrows" because he had slain a mighty serpent with his bow. Eros was offended, and decided to play a trick on him, and that is why he caused the trouble with Daphne . Music Contest There was once a satyr named Marsyas. He was a wonderful player of the double flute, an instrument he found abandoned by Athena, and all the forests came to listen to him play the flute. One day Marsyas said that he was a better musician that the god of music himself, Apollo.

This angered Apollo and so Apollo challenged Marsyas to a music competition. The winner could do anything they want to the loser. Marsyas played his pipes and he was wonderful but when Apollo played the lyre...he was better. So Apollo won and because Marsyas had dared to even say that he was even close to being as good at him, he skinned him alive and hung him from a tree. Niobe's Tragedy Niobe was a mortal woman, the queen of Thebes and wife of Amphion , who once boasted that she was better than Leto as she had fourteen children while Leto only had two. Unfortunately, Niobe's claims had enraged the twin gods themselves, Apollo and Artemis, who were extremely protective of their mother and her honor and the two descended to Earth to punish Niobe. The very next day, Niobe's son's were killed by Apollo and her daughters were killed by Artemis, though in some myths, the twins spared one of the innocent children, usually being Meliboea, the youngest of Niobe's children. It is said that she was so horrified by the deaths of her siblings that her skin turned a sickly shade of white for the rest of her life.

Devastated by the death of her children, Niobe fled to Mount Sipylus where she wept for days without stopping. Zeus eventually took pity on the devastated mother and turned her to stone in order to spare her of any more agony. However, Niobe's stone body continued to weep and it is said that her endless tears formed the river, Achelous . The bodies of Niobe's children were left un-buried for nine days as Zeus had also turn everyone in the city to stone. On the tenth day, the Gods finally took pity and entombed the children's bodies themselves. In some myths one of the fourteen children prayed to Apollo to not kill him but it was too late as Apollo had already shot the arrow. Agamemnon's Mistake Chryses was a priest of Apollo. He respected Apollo and didn't ever disrespect him. But one day the Greek hero, Agamemnon , insulted the old man and refused to return his daughter, Chryseis, so he was angry. So Chryses prayed to Apollo to get revenge on the man for the insult.

And Apollo, grateful for the man's service as a priest, went to the Greek camp for nine days and shot poisoned arrows at the men and all their animals, spreading a plague on the Greeks in the Trojan War. Male Lovers Apollo and Zephyrus both loved a Spartan prince named Hyacinth. To win him over, both threw a discus, trying to see which one threw it further. Apollo won the match. However, Hyacinth died when a discus hit his head (several versions of the tale claim a jealous Zephyrus was responsible), and to honor his beloved prince, Apollo made his blood become the hyacinth flowers. A similar tale happened with another male lover, Cyparissus, son of Telephus , who became a cypress tree. When he indirectly killed Apollo's gift to him, a stag, he was so grief-stricken that he asks Apollo to let his tears fall forever. The god then turns the boy into a cypress tree, whose sap forms droplets like tears on the trunk. The cypress tree is also a symbol of mourning. Cassandra Apollo once fell in love with a princess Cassandra . She was the daughter of Priam, the king of Troy, and Hecuba.

Because he liked her, he gifted her with the gift of prophecy. Even though Apollo gave her the gift of prophecy she still disliked him. So he made it so that nobody would believe whatever she said about the future. She foretold the downfall of Troy, but nobody believed her. She foretold the dangers of the Trojan Horse, but nobody believed her. Then finally she foretold that Clytemnestra , the wife of Agamemnon, was going to kill him, but he didn't believe her. As Agamemnon returned to his wife, she and her new husband, Aegisthus, murdered him and Cassandra. The Erymanthian Boar Once, a son of Apollo, Erymanthos , saw the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite making love with Adonis, and Aphrodite was so outraged she blinded the poor demigod. When Apollo heard this, he created the Erymanthian Boar and ordered it to kill Adonis , one of Aphrodite's favorite mortals. For Heracles fourth labor, he was to capture the mighty beast and bring it to Eurystheus alive.

He did so by luring the Boar into thick snow, then snaring it in a net while it struggled to free him. Erymanthos died later on in his life after he got married. Telphousa After Leto gave birth to Apollo, she fed him ambrosia and nectar which enabled him to travel around the earth at a young age. When he was searching all over the world for a place to found his shrine, he came across a place called Haliartos in western Boiotia. When he wanted to use this spring, the nymph of the spring Telphousa knew and did not want to share her spot, so she told Apollo to move to Krisa, a place on the southern slopes of Mount Parnassos and she said that it was far more peaceful than her spring. So Apollo went there and chose the spot called Delphi but it was plagued by a gigantic snake called Python . After killing Python, Apollo was furious as Telphousa led him to the lair of a monster so he went back to the spring and covered it with rocks and subordinated her cult to his own by building an altar to Telphousian Apollo in a nearby grove.

A long time later, the famous seer called Tiresias came to Telphousa's spring and drank from it but died. Sphere of Control Apollo is the god of the Sun, music, medicine, healing, truth, prophecy, plague, poetry, education, archery, and the protection of the young. He is sometimes shown with a golden bow and arrow, as he is the god of archery. Attributes and Personality Apollo was considered to be the most beautiful male god among the Olympians. Apollo had long golden locks of hair, supported a muscular build, and had a deep but seductive voice. Apollo was very wise and calm headed but like his father Zeus, was very quick to anger, especially when anyone disrespected him or his family. Apollo also valued family as when Poseidon challenged him during the Trojan War he refused to fight him because they were family. Also, like his father, Apollo was known to fall in love with mortal women. Animals Apollo • Facts and Information on Greek God of the Sun Apollo Apollo was the son of Leto and Zeus. He was born on the island of Delos. He and his twin sister Artemis, also an Olympian, shared an aptitude for archery.

His forename, Phoebus, means “bright” or “pure” and connects him to his grandmother, the Titan Phoebe. Apollo, a masterful magician, was known for delighting Olympus with tunes played on his golden lyre. His lyre, a stringed instrument that resembles a small harp, was made by Hermes. The nine Muses were companions of his; they were goddesses known for inspiring art and music. Apollo taught men the art of medicine, so he is often referred to as “The Healer.” Apollo is alternately referred to as the God of Light and the God of Truth. Apollo served as an intermediary between the gods and men. Because of his truthfulness and integrity, he was granted the gift of prophecy and oracles. Apollo defended the oracle at Delphi against Hercules, who was angry at the priestess for having denied him a prophecy. Apollo killed a serpent named Python as a result of a contest; it was conquered by a single arrow. According to Homer’s Illiad, Apollo played a major part in the Trojan War. He infected the Greek encampment with a plague and aided Paris in killing Achilles.

Ironically, Apollo was also a purifier, able to cleanse even those stained with the blood of their relatives. The dolphin and swan were the animals sacred to him. The laurel, used in Greece as a status symbol, was Apollo’s tree. Apollo accidentally killed his dearest companion, Hyacinthus, in a discus throwing contest. Apollo is credited with killing the Cyclops in retaliation for arming Zeus with the thunderbolt. He had many love affairs with both mortals and goddesses. Perhaps the most famous of these women was a mortal named Hecuba, who was married to the King of Troy. The union between Apollo and Hecuba produced a son named Troilus. Apollo’s affections were rejected by Cassandra, yet another mortal, so he punished her by arranging it so that her prophecies would never be believed. Asclepius is probably Apollo’s most well-known son, although he had many offspring. Link/cite this page If you use any of the content on this page in your own work, please use the code below to cite this page as the source of the content.

<a href="">Apollo: - Greek Gods & Goddesses, September 18, 2014 Link will appear as Apollo: - Greek Gods & Goddesses, September 18, 2014 Apollo, Greek God of the Sun, the Light, the Music and the Prophecy APOLLO FACTS Apollo Apollo See More Apollo Pictures > Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto , twin brother of Artemis . He was the god of music, and he is often depicted playing a golden lyre. He was also known as the Archer, far shooting with a silver bow; the god of healing, giving the science of medicine to man; the god of light; and the god of truth. One of Apollo 's most important daily tasks was to harness his four-horse chariot, in order to move the Sun across the sky. Apollo was an oracular god, as he was the prophetic deity in the Oracle in Delphi . People from all over the known world travelled there to learn what the future held for them, through his priestess Pythia. The god was also worshipped in the island of Delos, which was initially dedicated to his twin sister Artemis .

In relation to the rituals and practices that took place in Delos and Delphi , it could be said that there were two completely distinct cults in honour of Apollo . As already mentioned, Apollo was also considered as the god of healing and medicine, either through himself or through his son Asclepius . At the same time, he could also bring forth disease and plague with his arrows; it was considered that a god that can cause disease is also able to prevent it. He was born on Delos, where his mother Leto sought refuge; Hera , having realised that Leto was impregnated by her husband Zeus , banned Leto from giving birth on land. So, Leto managed to go to Delos, which had recently been formed, and therefore, was not considered a real island yet. The inhabitants of the island, along with Artemis who had been born a day earlier, helped Leto give birth to Apollo . Leto then promised the Delians that Apollo would always favour them for having helped her. His holy tree was the laurel, and his holy animal was the dolphin. Apollo Is also called Phoebus, Apollon.

Fast Facts on Apollo, Greek God of the Sun Greek God of the Sun Valery Rizzo/Stockbyte/Getty Images By deTraci Regula Updated May 01, 2016. Here's a quick guide to the basic facts about the Greek god of the sun, Apollo. Apollo's Appearance: A young man with curly golden hair or, sometimes, rays of the sun emanating from his head. Symbol or Attribute of Apollo: The Sun itself, the lyre (a type of musical instrument), the bow, and the chariot he drives across the sky daily, borrowed from an earlier pre-Greek Sun god, Helios . Apollo's Strengths: Creative, handsome, supportive of all the arts of civilization. Apollo's Weaknesses: Like his father Zeus , Apollo is all too happy to enjoy the charms of nymphs, as well as the occasional youth, and his conquests number in the dozens. Birthplace of Apollo: On the sunny Greek island of Delos , where he was born along with his twin sister, Artemis . A palm tree on the island is pointed out as the actual site of the birth.

Another tradition gives the islands of Lato, the Letoides, now called Paximadia, which lie off of the southern coast of Crete . continue reading below our video 5 Tips to Make Coach Feel Like First Class Spouse: Apollo had many encounters, but no formal marriages. Flings included Cassandra, to whom he gave the gift of prophecy; Daphne, who fled from his embrace and turned into a laurel tree; Acacallis, a maiden from the Samaria Gorge on the island of Crete who was spurned by her proud family for choosing a "foreign" Greek god, and Calliope, with whom he had a child, Orpheus. Apollo's Children: Information varies, but the enchanting semi-divine singer Orpheus and the god of healing Asklepios (also spelled Asclepius, Aesculapius and other variants) are the most famous of Apollo's offspring. Some Major Temple Sites of Apollo: The mountain town of Delphi , where a few columns from an early temple of Apollo still stand. The island of Delos is also sacred to him, but there is no temple to Apollo remaining there today. Apollo in some places replaced an earlier solar god, Helios.

High mountain tops were sacred to Helios, and today, churches dedicated to Saint Elias are often found on these same spots. Basic Story: Apollo was the son of the supreme Greek god Zeus and Leto, a nymph. Zeus's wife Hera was outraged and convinced the earth to refuse to allow Leto to give birth anywhere on its surface. But the island of Delos allowed Leto to take refuge there and give birth to Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis , goddess of the hunt and wild things. The goddess Themis assisted in raising him by feeding him ambrosia, the sacred nectar of the gods. Interesting Fact: Apollo Delphinus or Delphinius was the dolphin-form of the god and was revered at Delphi - despite its location high in the mountains. He supposedly commandeered a Cretan ship in his dolphin form, jumping out of the water and landing on its deck, and then forced it to the coastline at Delphi; the sailors on the ship supposedly became his first priests at Delphi. He was also believed to have destroyed an evil serpent at Delphi, and took over as the patron god of the famous oracle there. Some ancient coins show the head of Apollo with dolphins swimming in the background.

Some images of Apollo in profile on coins are very beautiful and often can be mistaken for an image of a goddess instead. The inscription may read Ἀπόλλων (Apollon) or Ἀπέλλων (Apellon), among other variants. If you see the first two letters, the alpha and pi of the Greek alphabet, it's almost certainly Apollo. More Fast Facts on Greek Gods and Goddesses: /od/crete/tp/cretetours.htm ">Sightseeing Trips on Crete</a><br> Plan Your Own Trip to Greece Greek Mythology: Apollo Greek Mythology God of: Music, poetry, light, prophecy, and medicine Symbols: Lyre, bow and arrow, raven, laurel Parents: Zeus and Leto 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. 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. Take a ten question quiz about this page. For more about Ancient Greece: Overview The God and Goddess | The Story of Apollo And The Lawgiver and the God of Prophecy.

the Far-Shooter, the Greek god also called Phoebus ("bright, shining") by the Romans. Apollo, Greek god of the Sun, was the original overachiever. No wonder he became his father's favorite son! At the tender age of 4 days, showing an incredible talent for archery, Apollo killed the gigantic serpent named Python (in some myths she was a dragon) who had been harassing his mother. The Greek god Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were born to Leto (a Titan goddess who was impregnated by Zeus during one of his numerous affairs. The birth of the twins was not an easy one, for their poor mother Leto had been pursued throughout her pregnancy by a gigantic serpent named Python and had never been allowed a moment’s rest. Going into labor, she finally found a safe, secluded spot where she could deliver. But after the birth of the first twin, Artemis, was born, Leto was too exhausted to continue. Artemis, born just minutes earlier, had to take control of the situation and become Leto’s midwife, helping her mother safely deliver the infant Apollo.

Zeus welcomed the twins by giving them both silver bows and arrows, promising Artemis she would never have to marry unless she wanted to, and giving Apollo a magnificent golden chariot that was pulled by swans. Apollo was destined to make his father proud of him. Following his dramatic debut with the Python, he went on to become, not only an unerring archer, but the best musician (playing a lyre given to him by his half-brother Hermes), poet, philosopher, law maker and creator of legal institutions, a masterful physician, the god of prophecy, and a great scholar who always spoke the truth. Apollo’s skill and determination were evident at a very early age. When he was only 4 days old, he took his bow and arrow and went out in search of the snake that had tormented his mother during her pregnancy. Finding the snake named Python, who was said to measure several acres in length, he wounded her with his first shot. The serpent crawled back to her cave in the city of Delphi, but the infant Apollo followed her and this time succeeded in killing the snake with his second shot.

The citizens of Delphi were glad to be rid of her and were grateful to Apollo - later Delphi was established as the center of Apollo’s worship. As it happened this was not just a regular snake that Apollo had killed - it turns out that it happened to be the famed Oracle of Delphi, the greatest prophet of all time. The Python lived in the cave and could answer any question since she could see anything in the present or the future. When she answered a question, her hiss would be interpreted by the Pythian priestess and the answer relayed to the questioner. The killing of the Python was no small matter. Though very proud of his son’s courage and prowess, Zeus was not pleased that Apollo had killed the serpent. Where could he go now when he needed advice based on her remarkable foresight? “Not a problem”, Apollo assured him, and returned to Delphi where he took over the Temple and persuaded the priestess to teach him the art of prophecy. Zeus, even though he favored this child, felt Apollo should still be punished for killing the Python, just to teach him a lesson. So he exiled him to live and work on earth as a mortal for one year.

His assignment was to assist King Admetus, a kind and pious man who treated Apollo well. At the end of his year of servitude, to repay the king’s kindness, he looked into the future and told the king his fate, warning him that he could reverse it if he could find someone willing to die in his place. Only his wife was willing, and the king regretted allowing her to sacrifice her life for him. Later the hero Heracles (Hercules) was able, however, to restore her life. It was said that Apollo could only speak the truth, telling the future with an accuracy that was as unerring as his marksmanship with his arrows. Arrows featured largely in the story of Apollo’s first love. He caught the somewhat bratty young Eros (Cupid) playing with his silver bow and arrows. He chastised Eros, telling him to put them down that they were not toys. Offended, Eros cheerfully responded “OK, you can have some of mine then - they’re not toys either!” and shot Apollo with one of his golden arrows that had been dipped in an aphrodisiac that made the victim fall madly in love with the first person they saw.

At that very moment, Daphne, the lovely daughter of a river god, came walking by. Apollo was instantly smitten. With a wicked smile on his lips, the mischievous Eros drew a second arrow from his quiver. This one was made of lead and tipped with a potion that would make love seem repulsive. He took aim and shot Daphne with it. Daphne ran home and begged her father to swear an oath that she would never have to marry, so repugnant was the very idea of love. Apollo, his heart inflamed with love, pursued Daphne, calling out his pledges of undying love - but she continued to run from him. Horrified when he finally caught up with her, Daphne cried for Mother Earth to strike her dead or change her form so that she would not be appealing and would not have to endure his love. Instantly she turned into laurel tree. Apollo, heartbroken, tore off a branch of leaves and wove them in his hair, promising Daphne that she would be forever remembered, living on in the wreaths of laurel leaves that would be used to crown kings and victors from that day forward. And so it would be.

Like several of the Greek gods of his generation, Apollo never married, but seduced many young goddesses and mortal women. In the hopes of winning her love, Apollo gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy. She proved an able student and, like him, learned to see the future and always told the truth. Shocked when he suddenly turned amorous, ready to be repaid for his favor, Cassandra rejected him. Angered by this, Apollo gave her another “gift” - this one a curse that even though she always told the truth no one would ever believe her. Among his many lovers, several were males; the most famous, perhaps, being Hyacinthus, whom he accidentally killed in a game of discus. To express his sorrow, Apollo immortalized the dying youth by turning him in the beautiful flower, the hyacinth that greets us each spring. For all his bright and shining qualities, Apollo could also be quite vindictive. Always close to his twin sister, both were known for their skill as archers, their energetic pursuit of their goals, and their swift and merciless punishment of those whose behavior they found insulting or offensive.

When Niobe boasted that she was a better mother than Leto since she had produced six sons and six daughters instead of just a measly set of twins, Apollo and Artemis took offense. Taking their bows and arrows with them, they found Niobe’s children and Apollo killed the sons while Artemis dispatched the daughters. Niobe’s grief was so great that her tears caused the rivers to overflow their banks. Apollo also had a jealous streak. When Artemis fell in love with the hunter Orion, Apollo missed her company and affection. Aware that Orion was swimming in the ocean, Apollo ran to find Artemis and gathering up their bows and arrows, rushed down to the beach with her. Pointing to Orion’s head, barely visible on the horizon, Apollo said, “See that shiny thing bobbing in the waves? Bet you can’t hit that!” Artemis, a fierce competitor and exceptional archer accepted the wager. With her unerring aim, she unknowingly killed the man she loved. She never loved again. For the most part Apollo was rather calm and dispassionate, but there seemed to be three things that could “set him off”. One, as we have seen already, was any offense or insult to his beloved mother.

Another was any violation of the boundaries between the gods and mortal men. Alone among the Olympian deities, Apollo never “sponsored” or helped any of the Greek heroes because he felt that they should know their “place” and stay out of the god’s affairs. And Apollo did not take kindly to any challenges to his position as “the very best” at everything he did. He was, by the way, the champion in many fields - music, science, and prophecy. According to mythology, he was even able to defeat Ares and boxing and Hermes in racing to win those events at the first Olympic games! It is a good thing that Apollo usually won, for he was far from being a “good loser”. His opponents were often punished for winning. He literally took the skin off a satyr named Marsyus who had the audacity to beat him in a music competition. But usually his punishments were moderate, and sometimes they even revealed a sense of humor. When King Midas voted for his competitor in a musical competition, Apollo gave him the ears of a jackass. The embarrassed king had to wear a cap over his ears for the rest of his life!

Apollo is usually depicted as a handsome, beardless youth wearing a wreath of laurel leaves and holding his bow, or a lyre, his favorite musical instrument. You can read the intriguing story of how Apollo came to play the lyre in the stories of Hermes. Although most of the myths of Apollo feature him “in action”, he was actually known more for his achievements than his acts and was seldom embroiled in the continuous quarrels and unfolding dramas that constituted life on Mount Olympus. Somewhat detached from the others, Apollo was often “away” when things were happening, of simply uninvolved. Perhaps he did “learn his lesson” as Zeus had hoped, although it took a second exile before he got the message. After he returned from his first exile, Apollo took part in a plot by the Olympians, led by Poseidon, to overthrow Zeus’ reign as their ruler. All the gods and goddesses agreed that something had to change, that Zeus was proving to be too arrogant and heavy-handed. The attempted coup failed, but Zeus did try to do better from then on and was quite lenient in punishing all of them.

Poseidon and Apollo were both sentenced to one year of manual labor, to be served on earth helping build the walls around Troy while disguised as ordinary mortals. They served their sentences without complaint, but when the King of Troy refused to honor his contract and pay them for their work, the angry Poseidon sent a horrible sea monster and Apollo caused a plague to rain down on the city of Troy. Soon the bodies of the dead and dying were stacked as high as the great wall around the city. The king relented and paid his debt. Just as he could summon a plague, Apollo was also called upon to prevent and cure all manner of illness for he was a healer of great knowledge and skill. The favorite son of Zeus, Apollo had a favorite son himself. He was once in love with Coronis. She was pregnant with his child, but Apollo was fearful that she might take another lover during one of his frequent absences. So Apollo dispatched a white raven to spy on her for him. When the raven reported that she had betrayed his trust, he was displeased and turned the raven’s feathers black. Then he killed Coronis, but suddenly regretting it, he saved the unborn child.

Naming him Asclepius, he reared the child himself and trained him in the healing arts. Asclepius became a famous physician and is generally considered to be the “Father of Modern Medicine”. Indeed, his skill was so great that, after he restored life to one of his patients who had died, Zeus had to kill him since only the Fates were allowed to determine whether someone lived or died. Apollo was a god who had a clear idea of what was right and what was wrong. He believed strongly in law and order. He interpreted the law for mortals and gave the cities their legal institutions, including civic courts so that disputes could be settled without bloodshed. Uncomfortable as Apollo was with chaos and tumult, or even passionate intensity, he was an idealist with a vision of a society that could live peacefully under the rule of fairness and of law. It is from the Greek god Apollo that we get the sayings "Know thyself" and the call to moderation in all things, the Golden Mean, reminding us to do "nothing in excess".

Driving his golden chariot to pull the sun across the sky each day, Apollo’s most important role was that of Helios, Greek god of the sun, his golden light brightening the lives of all it touched. Apollo was a favorite of the people of Rhodes. The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is an immense statue of the Greek god Apollo (as Helios Apollo). In ancient times, the citizens of Rhodes would cast a chariot and four horses into the sea each year as a tribute or gift to him, presumably to allow him to replace last year's model and continue to make his grand journey across the sky each day in style. The Symbols of the Greek God Apollo * Silver bow and arrow The Greek God Apollo: Sun God, God of Music, Prophecy By N.S. Gill Updated October 30, 2015. The Greek god Apollo was the son of Zeus and the twin brother of Artemis , goddess of the hunt and the moon. Commonly conceived as the driver of the solar disc, Apollo in fact was patron of prophecy, music, intellectual pursuits, healing, and plague.

His brainy, orderly interests made writers contrast Apollo with his half-brother, the hedonistic Dionysus (Bacchus) , god of wine. Apollo and the Sun Perhaps the earliest reference to Apollo as the sun god Helios occurs in the surviving fragments of Euripides ' Phaethon. Phaethon was one of the chariot horses of the Homeric goddess of the dawn, Eos. It was also the name of the son of the sun god who foolishly drove his father's sun-chariot and died for the privilege. By the Hellenistic period and in Latin literature , Apollo is associated with the sun. The firm connection with the sun may be traceable to the Metamorphoses of the popular Latin poet Ovid . Apollo's Oracle The Oracle at Delphi, famous seat of prophecy in the classical world, was intimately connected with Apollo. continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know Sources vary, but it was at Delphi that Apollo slew the serpent Python, or alternately brought the gift of prophecy in the form of a dolphin.

The Greeks believed that Delphi was the site of the omphalos, or navel, of Gaea, the Earth. Either way, the Oracle's guidance was sought by Greek rulers for every major decision, and was respected in the lands of Asia Minor and by the Egyptians and Romans as well. Apollo's priestess, or sybil, was known as Pythia. When a supplicant asked a question of the sybil, she leaned over a chasm (the hole where Python was buried), fell into a trance, and began to rave. The translations were made into hexameter by the temple priests. God of the Sun, Music, Healing Roman Equivalent: Apollo, sometimes Phoebus Apollo or Sol Attributes, Animals, and Powers: Apollo is depicted as a beardless young man (ephebe). His attributes are the tripod (the stool of prophecy), lyre, bow and arrows, laurel, hawk, raven or crow, swan, fawn, roe, snake, mouse, grasshopper, and griffin. Apollo's Lovers: Apollo was paired with many women and a few men. It wasn't safe to resist his advances.

When the seer Cassandra rejected him, he punished her by making it impossible for people to believe her prophecies. When Daphne sought to reject Apollo, her father "helped" her by turning her into a laurel tree. Myths of Apollo: He is a healing god, a power he transmitted to his son Asclepius . Asclepius exploited his ability to heal by raising men from the dead. Zeus punished him by striking him with a fatal thunderbolt. Apollo retaliated by killing the Cyclops , who had created the thunderbolt. Zeus punished his son Apollo by sentencing him to a year of servitude, which he spent as herdsman for the mortal king Admetus . Euripides ' Alcestis tragedy tells the story of the reward Apollo paid Admetus. In the Trojan War, Apollo and his sister Artemis sided with the Trojans. In the first book of the Iliad, he is angry with the Greeks for refusing to return the daughter of his priest Chryses. To punish them, the god showers the Greeks with arrows of plague, possibly bubonic, since the plague-sending Apollo is a special aspect connected with mice.

Apollo was also associated with the laurel wreath of victory. Apollo was fated to a disastrous and unrequited love. Daphne, the object of his love, metamorphosed into a laurel tree to avoid him. Leaves from the laurel tree were thereafter used to crown victors at the Pythian games. Sources: Apollo Apollo by Ron Leadbetter The son of Zeus and Leto , and the twin brother of Artemis . Apollo was the god of music (principally the lyre, and he directed the choir of the Muses ) and also of prophecy, colonization, medicine, archery (but not for war or hunting), poetry, dance, intellectual inquiry and the carer of herds and flocks. He was also a god of light, known as "Phoebus" (radiant or beaming, and he was sometimes identified with Helios the sun god).

He was also the god of plague and was worshiped as Smintheus (from sminthos, rat) and as Parnopius (from parnops, grasshopper) and was known as the destroyer of rats and locust, and according to Homer's Iliad, Apollo shot arrows of plague into the Greek camp. Apollo being the god of religious healing would give those guilty of murder and other immoral deeds a ritual purification. Sacred to Apollo are the swan (one legend says that Apollo flew on the back of a swan to the land of the Hyperboreans, he would spend the winter months among them), the wolf and the dolphin. His attributes are the bow and arrows, on his head a laurel crown, and the cithara (or lyre) and plectrum. But his most famous attribute is the tripod, the symbol of his prophetic powers. When the goddesss Hera , the wife of Zeus (it was he who had coupled with Leto) found out about Leto's pregnancy, she was outraged with jealousy. Seeking revenge Hera forced Leto to roam the earth in search of a place to give birth.

Sicne Hera had forbidden Leto to stay anywhere on earth, either on terra-ferma or an island at sea, the only place to seek shelter was Delos, being in the center of the Aegean, and also difficult to reach, as there were strong under-currents, because it was said to be a floating island. Because it was a floating island, it was not considered either of Hera's prohibitions, and so Leto was able to give birth to the divine twins Apollo and Artemis (before Leto gave birth to Apollo, the island was encircled by a flock of swans, this is why the swan was sacred to him). As a gesture of thanks Delos was secured to the sea-bed by four columns to give it stability, and from then on it became one of the most important sanctuaries to Apollo. (A variation of Apollo's birth was that the jealous Hera had incarcerated Ilithyia , the goddess of childbirth, but the other gods intervened forcing Hera to release Ilithyia, which allowed Leto to give birth ). Apollo's first achievement was to rid Pytho ( Delphi ) of the serpent (or dragon) Python .

This monstrous beast protected the sanctuary of Pytho from its lair beside the Castalian Spring. There it stood guard while the "Sibyl" gave out her prophecies as she inhaled the trance inducing vapors from an open chasm. Apollo killed Python with his bow and arrows (Homer wrote "he killed the fearsome dragon Python, piercing it with his darts"). Apollo not only took charge of the oracle but rid the neighboring countryside of widespread destruction, as Python had destroyed crops, sacked villages and polluted streams and springs. However, to make amends for killing Python, as the fearsome beast was the son of Gaia , Apollo had to serve king Admetus for nine years (in some versions eight) as a cowherd. This he did, and when he returned to Pytho he came in the guise of a dolphin bringing with him priests from Crete (Apollo's cult title "Delphinios" meaning dolphin or porpoise, is probably how Delphi was so named). After killing Python and taking possession of the oracle, the god of light (Phobus) became known as "Pythian Apollo".

He dedicated a bronze tripod to the sanctuary and bestowed divine powers on one of the priestesses, and she became known as the "Pythia". It was she who inhaled the hallucinating vapors from the fissure in the temple floor, while she sat on a tripod chewing laurel leaves. After she mumbled her answer, a male priest would translate it for the supplicant. Delphi became the most important oracle center of Apollo, there were several including Clarus and Branchidae. Apollo, as with Zeus his father, had many love affairs with goddesses and mortals. Apollo's infatuation for the nymph Daphne , which had been invoked by the young god of love Eros , because Apollo had mocked him, saying his archery skills were pathetic, and Apollo's singing had also irritated him. Daphne was the beautiful daughter of the river god Ladon, and she was constantly pursued by Apollo. To escape from Apollo's insistent behavior, she fled to the mountains, but the persistent Apollo followed her. Annoyed by this, she asked the river god Peneus for help, which he did.

As soon as Apollo approached Daphne, he tried to embrace her, but when he stretched out his arms she transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo, distraught by what had happened, made the laurel his sacred tree. Apollo also loved Cyrene , she was another nymph, and she bore Apollo a son: Aristaeus , a demi-god, who became a protector of cattle and fruit trees, and a deity of hunting, husbandry and bee-keeping. He taught men dairy skills and the use of nets and traps in hunting. The most famous mortal loves of Apollo was Hecuba , she was the wife of Priam , the king of Troy. She bore him Troilius. Foretold by an oracle, as long as Troilius reached the age of twenty, Troy could not be defeated. But the hero Achilles ambushed and killed him, when the young prince and his sister Polyxena secretly visited a spring. Apollo also fell in love with Cassandra , the sister of Troilius, and daughter of Hecuba and Priam. He seduced Cassandra on the promise that he would teach her the art of prophecy, but having learnt the prophetic art she rejected him.

Apollo, being angry of her rejection punished her, by declaring her prophecies never to be accepted or believed. Asclepius , the god of healing, was also Apollo's offspring, after his union with Coronis , who was daughter of Phlegyas , king of the Lapiths. While she was pregnant by Apollo, Coronis fell in love with Ischys, son of Elatus, but a crow informed Apollo of the affair. Apollo sent his twin sister Artemis to kill Coronis, and Artemis carried out he brothers wishes. While her body was burning on the funeral pyre, Apollo removed the unborn child, and took him to Chiron , who raised the child Asclepius. Apollo also, as did his father Zeus, fall in love with one of his own gender, Hyacinthus , a Spartan prince. He was very handsome and athletic, which inflamed the passions of Apollo. One day while Apollo and Hyacinthus were practicing throwing the discus, Zephyrus , the god of the west wind, who was also attracted to the young prince, and jealous of Apollo's amorous affection towards the boy, made the discus veer off course by blowing an ill wind.

The discus, which Apollo had thrown, hit Hyacinthus, smashing his skull. Apollo rushed to him, but he was dead. The god was overcome with grief, but to immortalize the love he had for the beautiful youth, he had a flower grow were his blood had stained the earth. Apollo also loved the young boy Cyparissus , a descendant of Heracles . The impassioned Apollo gave Cyparissus a sacred deer, as a love token. The young deer became tame, and was the constant companion of the boy, until a tragic accident occurred. As the young deer lay sleeping in the shade of the undergrowth, Cyparissus threw his javelin, which by chance hit, and killed the deer. Grief-stricken by what had happened, Cyparissus wanted to die. He asked Apollo to let his tears fall for all eternity. With apprehension Apollo transformed the boy into a tree, the cypress, which became the symbol of sorrow, as the sap on its trunk forms droplets, like tears. Apollo could also be ruthless when he was angered.

The mortal Niobe , boasted to Apollo's mother Leto, that she had fourteen children (in some versions six or seven), which must make her more superior than Leto, who had only bore two. Apollo greatly angered by this slew her sons, and Artemis killed Niobe's daughters. Niobe wept so much that she turned into a pillar of stone. Apollo was infuriated when the satyr Marsyas challenged Apollo to music contest. After winning the competition, Apollo had Marsyas flayed alive, for being so presumptuous, as to challenge a god. Apollo was worshiped throughout the Greek world, at Delphi every four years they held the Pythian Games in his honor. He had many epithets, including "Pythian Apollo" (his name at Delphi), "Apollo Apotropaeus" (Apollo who averts evil), and "Apollo Nymphegetes" (Apollo who looks after the Nymphs). As the god of shepherds he also had the cult titles "Lukeios" (from lykos; wolf), protecting the flocks from wolfs, and "Nomius" (of pastures, belonging to shepherds).

Being the god of colonists, Apollo influenced his priests at Delphi to give divine guidance, as to where the expedition should proceed. This was during the height of the colonizing era circa 750-550 BCE. Apollo's title was "Archigetes" (leader of colonists). According to one legend, it was Apollo who helped either Cretan or Arcadian colonists found the city of Troy. In art Apollo is at most times depicted as a handsome young man, clean shaven and carrying either a lyre, or his bow and arrows. There are many sculptures of Apollo and one of the most famous is the central figure from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus, at Olympia, showing Apollo declaring victory in favor of the Lapiths in their struggle against the Centaurs . A song sung in honor of Apollo is called a paean. Article details: Greek Mythology: Artemis Greek Mythology Goddess of: The hunt, wilderness, moon, and archery Symbols: Bow and arrow, hunting dog, moon Parents: Zeus and Leto Abode: Mount Olympus Roman name: Diana Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, moon and archery.

She is the twin sister of the god Apollo and one of the Twelve Olympian gods who live on Mount Olympus. She spends much of her time in the forest surrounded by animals such as hunting dogs, bears, and deer. How was Artemis usually pictured? Artemis is generally pictured as a young girl wearing a knee-length tunic and armed with her bow and arrow. She often is shown accompanied by forest creatures such as deer and bears. When traveling, Artemis rides a chariot pulled by four silver stags. What special powers and skills did she have? Like all the Greek Olympic gods, Artemis was immortal and very powerful. Her special powers included perfect aim with the bow and arrow, the ability to turn herself and others into animals, healing, disease, and control of nature. Birth of Artemis 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.

Six Wishes When Artemis turned three years old, she asked her father Zeus for six wishes: to never get married to have more names than her brother Apollo to have a bow and arrows made by the Cyclopes and a knee-length hunting tunic to wear to bring light to the world to have sixty nymphs for friends who will tend to her hounds to have all the mountains as her domain Zeus couldn't resist his little girl and granted her all her wishes. Orion One of Artemis' best friends was the giant hunter Orion. The two friends loved to hunt together. However, one day Orion boasted to Artemis that he could kill every creature on Earth. The goddess Gaia, Mother Earth, heard the boast and sent a scorpion to kill Orion. In some Greek stories, it is actually Artemis who ends up killing Orion. Fighting Giants One Greek myth tells the story of two huge giant brothers called the Aloadae giants. These brothers grew very large and powerful. So powerful that even the gods began to fear them. Artemis discovered that they could only be killed by each other. She disguised herself as a deer and jumped between the brothers while they were hunting.

They both threw their spears at Artemis, but she dodged the spears just in time. The brothers ended up striking and killing each other with their spears. Interesting Facts About the Greek Goddess Artemis When Queen Niobe mocked her mother Leto for only having two children, Artemis and Apollo took their revenge by killing all fourteen of Niobe's children. Despite not having any kids of her own, she was often considered the goddess of childbirth. She was the protector of young girls until they became married. Artemis was the first of the twins born. After being born, she then helped her mother in the birth of her brother Apollo. One of the largest temples built to a Greek god or goddess was the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. It was so impressive that it was named one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the Ancient World. Take a ten question quiz about this page. For more about Ancient Greece: Overview

Question: Which Greek god was the twin sister of Apollo?
Answer: Artemis