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Apollo, God of Light, Eloquence, Poetry and the Fine Arts with Urania, Muse of Astronomy (1798) byCharles Meynier
Apollo[a] is one of theOlympian deities inancient Greek andRoman religion andGreek andRoman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, theSun and light, poetry, and more. One of the most important and complex of the Greek gods, he is the son ofZeus andLeto, and the twin brother ofArtemis, goddess of the hunt. He is considered to be the most beautiful god and is represented as the ideal of thekouros (ephebe, or a beardless, athletic youth). Apollo is known in Greek-influencedEtruscan mythology asApulu.[2]
As the patron deity ofDelphi (Apollo Pythios), Apollo is anoracular god—the propheticdeity of theDelphic Oracle and also the deity of ritual purification. His oracles were often consulted for guidance in various matters. He was in general seen as the god who affords help and wards off evil, and is referred to asAlexicacus, the "averter of evil". Medicine and healing are associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his sonAsclepius. Apollo delivered people from epidemics, yet he is also a god who could bring ill health and deadlyplague with his arrows. The invention of archery itself is credited to Apollo and his sister Artemis. Apollo is usually described as carrying a silver or golden bow and a quiver of arrows.
As the god ofmousike,[b] Apollo presides over all music, songs, dance, and poetry. He is the inventor of string-music and the frequent companion of the Muses, functioning as their chorus leader in celebrations. The lyre is a commonattribute of Apollo. Protection of the young is one of the best attested facets of his panhellenic cult persona. As akourotrophos, Apollo is concerned with the health and education of children, and he presided over their passage into adulthood. Long hair, which was the prerogative of boys, was cut at the coming of age (ephebeia) and dedicated to Apollo. The god himself is depicted with long, uncut hair to symbolise his eternal youth.
Apollo is an important pastoral deity, and he was the patron of herdsmen and shepherds. Protection of herds, flocks and crops from diseases, pests and predators were his primary rustic duties. On the other hand, Apollo also encouraged the founding of new towns and the establishment of civil constitutions, is associated with dominion overcolonists, and was the giver of laws. His oracles were often consulted before setting laws in a city. ApolloAgyieus was the protector of the streets, public places and home entrances.[3]
InHellenistic times, especially during the 5th century BCE, asApollo Helios he became identified among Greeks withHelios, the personification of the Sun.[4] Although Latin theological works from at least 1st century BCE identified Apollo withSol,[5][6] there was noconflation between the two among the classical Latin poets until 1st century CE.[7]
The nameApollo—unlike the relatedolder namePaean—is generally not found in theLinear B (Mycenean Greek) texts, although there is a possible attestation in thelacunose form]pe-rjo-[ (Linear B: ]𐀟𐁊-[) on theKN E 842 tablet,[8][9][10] though it has also been suggested that the name might actually read "Hyperion" ([u]-pe-rjo-[ne]).[11]
Theetymology of the name is uncertain. The spellingἈπόλλων (pronounced[a.pól.lɔːn] inClassical Attic) had almost superseded all other forms by the beginning of thecommon era, but theDoric form,Apellon (Ἀπέλλων), is more archaic, as it is derived from an earlier*Ἀπέλjων. It probably is a cognate to the Doric monthApellaios (Ἀπελλαῖος),[12] and the offeringsapellaia (ἀπελλαῖα) at the initiation of the young men during the family-festivalapellai (ἀπέλλαι).[13][14] According to some scholars, the words are derived from the Doric wordapella (ἀπέλλα), which originally meant "wall", "fence for animals" and later "assembly within the limits of the square".[15][16]Apella (Ἀπέλλα) is the name of the popular assembly in Sparta,[15] corresponding to theecclesia (ἐκκλησία).R. S. P. Beekes rejected the connection of the theonym with the nounapellai and suggested aPre-Greek proto-form *Apalyun.[17]
Several instances ofpopular etymology are attested by ancient authors. Thus, the Greeks most often associated Apollo's name with the Greek verbἀπόλλυμι (apollymi), "to destroy".[18]Plato inCratylus connects the name withἀπόλυσις (apolysis), "redemption", withἀπόλουσις (apolousis), "purification", and withἁπλοῦν ([h]aploun), "simple",[19] in particular in reference to the Thessalian form of the name,Ἄπλουν, and finally withἈειβάλλων (aeiballon), "ever-shooting".Hesychius connects the name Apollo with the Doricἀπέλλα (apella), which means "assembly", so that Apollo would be the god of political life, and he also gives the explanationσηκός (sekos), "fold", in which case Apollo would be the god of flocks and herds.[20] In theancient Macedonian languageπέλλα (pella) means "stone",[21] and sometoponyms may be derived from this word:Πέλλα (Pella,[22] the capital ofancient Macedonia) andΠελλήνη (Pellēnē/Pellene).[23]
TheHittite formApaliunas (dx-ap-pa-li-u-na-aš) is attested in theManapa-Tarhunta letter.[24] TheHittite testimony reflects an early form*Apeljōn, which may also be surmised from the comparison of CypriotἈπείλων with DoricἈπέλλων.[25] The name of the Lydian godQλdãns /kʷʎðãns/ may reflect an earlier /kʷalyán-/ before palatalization, syncope, and the pre-Lydian sound change *y>d.[26] Note the labiovelar in place of the labial /p/ found in pre-DoricἈπέλjων and HittiteApaliunas. ALuwian etymology suggested forApaliunas makes Apollo "The One of Entrapment", perhaps in the sense of "Hunter".[27]
Greco-Roman epithets
Apollo's chiefepithet wasPhoebus (/ˈfiːbəs/FEE-bəs;Φοῖβος,PhoibosGreek pronunciation:[pʰó͜i.bos]), literally "bright".[28] It was very commonly used by both the Greeks and Romans for Apollo's role as the god of light. Like other Greek deities, he had a number of others applied to him, reflecting the variety of roles, duties, and aspects ascribed to the god. However, while Apollo has a great number of appellations in Greek myth, only a few occur inLatin literature.
Lyceus (/laɪˈsiːəs/ly-SEE-əs;Λύκειος,Lykeios, fromProto-Greek *λύκη), "light". The meaning of the epithet "Lyceus" later became associated with Apollo's motherLeto, who was the patron goddess ofLycia (Λυκία) and who was identified with the wolf (λύκος).[31]
Phanaeus (/fəˈniːəs/fə-NEE-əs;Φαναῖος,Phanaios), literally "giving or bringing light"
Phoebus (/ˈfiːbəs/FEE-bəs;Φοῖβος,Phoibos), literally "bright", his most commonly used epithet by both the Greeks and Romans
Acesius (/əˈsiːʒəs/ə-SEE-zhəs;Ἀκέσιος,Akesios), fromἄκεσις, "healing". Acesius was the epithet of Apollo worshipped inElis, where he had a temple in theagora.[41]
Nymphegetes (/nɪmˈfɛdʒɪtiːz/nim-FEJ-ih-teez;Νυμφηγέτης,Numphēgetēs), fromΝύμφη, "Nymph", andἡγέτης, "leader", for his role as a protector of shepherds and pastoral life
Patroos (Πατρῷος,Patrōios) fromπατρῷος, "related to one's father", for his role as father ofIon and founder of theIonians, as worshipped at theTemple of Apollo Patroos in Athens
Sauroctonus (Σαυροκτόνος,Sauroctonos), "lizard-killer", possibly a reference to his killing ofPython
Prophecy and truth
Coelispex (Roman) (/ˈsɛlɪspɛks/SEL-isp-eks), from Latincoelum, "sky", andspecere "to look at"
Iatromantis (/aɪˌætrəˈmæntɪs/eye-AT-rə-MAN-tis;Ἰατρομάντις,Iātromantis,) fromἰατρός, "physician", andμάντις, "prophet", referring to his role as a god both of healing and of prophecy
Ismenius (/ɪzˈmiːniəs/iz-MEE-nee-əs;Ἰσμηνιός,Ismēnios), literally "of Ismenus", after Ismenus, the son ofAmphion andNiobe, whom he struck with an arrow
Appearance
Acersecomes (Ακερσεκόμης,Akersekómēs), "he who has unshorn hair", the eternal ephebe.[48]
Boedromius (Βοηδρόμιος), was a surname of Apollo in Athens, with varying explanations for its origin. Some claim that the reason the god was given this name was because he had helped the Athenians overcome the Amazons in their battle, which took place on the seventh ofBoedromion, the day theBoedromia were later commemorated. Others claim that the term originated from the fact that, in the battle between Eumolpus and Erechtheus and Ion, Apollo had counselled the Athenians to charge the enemy with a war cry (Βοή) if they were going to win.[50]
Celtic epithets and cult titles
Apollo was worshipped throughout theRoman Empire. In the traditionallyCeltic lands, he was most often seen as a healing and sun god. He was often equated withCeltic gods of similar character.[51][52]
Apollo Atepomarus ("the great horseman" or "possessing a great horse"). Apollo was worshipped atMauvières (Indre). Horses were, in the Celtic world, closely linked to the Sun.[53]
Apollo Belenus ("bright" or "brilliant"). This epithet was given to Apollo in parts ofGaul, Northern Italy andNoricum (part of modern Austria). Apollo Belenus was a healing and sun god.[54]
Apollo Cunomaglus ("hound lord"). A title given to Apollo at a shrine atNettleton Shrub, Wiltshire. May have been a god of healing. Cunomaglus himself may originally have been an independent healing god.[55]
Apollo Maponus. A god known from inscriptions in Britain. This may be a local fusion of Apollo andMaponus.
Apollo Moritasgus ("masses of sea water").[clarification needed] An epithet for Apollo at Alesia, where he was worshipped as the god of healing and, possibly, of physicians.[59]
The cult centers of Apollo in Greece,Delphi andDelos, date from the 8th century BCE. The Delos sanctuary was primarily dedicated toArtemis, Apollo's twin sister. At Delphi, Apollo was venerated as the slayer of the monstrous serpentPython. For the Greeks, Apollo was the most Greek of all the gods, and through the centuries he acquired different functions. InArchaic Greece he was theprophet, the oracular god who in older times was connected with "healing". InClassical Greece he was the god of light and of music, but in popular religion he had a strong function to keep away evil.[64]Walter Burkert discerned three components in the prehistory of Apollo worship, which he termed "a Dorian-northwest Greek component, a Cretan-Minoan component, and a Syro-Hittite component."[65]
In classical times, his major function in popular religion was to keep away evil, and he was therefore called "apotropaios" (ἀποτρόπαιος, "averting evil") and "alexikakos" (ἀλεξίκακος "keeping off ill"; fromv.ἀλέξω +n.κακόν).[67] Apollo also had many epithets relating to his function as a healer. Some commonly-used examples are "paion" (παιών literally "healer" or "helper")[68] "epikourios" (ἐπικούριος, "succouring"), "oulios" (οὔλιος, "healer, baleful")[69] and "loimios" (λοίμιος, "of the plague"). In later writers, the word, "paion", usually spelled "Paean", becomes a mere epithet of Apollo in his capacity as a god ofhealing.[70]
Apollo in his aspect of "healer" has a connection to the primitive godPaean (Παιών-Παιήων), who did not have a cult of his own. Paean serves as the healer of the gods in theIliad, and seems to have originated in a pre-Greek religion.[71] It is suggested, though unconfirmed, that he is connected to theMycenaean figurepa-ja-wo-ne (Linear B:𐀞𐀊𐀺𐀚).[72][73][74] Paean was the personification of holy songs sung by "seer-doctors" (ἰατρομάντεις), which were supposed to cure disease.[75]
Homer uses the noun Paeon to designate both a god and that god's characteristic song ofapotropaic thanksgiving and triumph.[76] Such songs were originally addressed to Apollo and afterwards to other gods: toDionysus, to ApolloHelios, to Apollo's sonAsclepius the healer. About the 4th century BCE, the paean became merely a formula of adulation; its object was either to implore protection against disease and misfortune or to offer thanks after such protection had been rendered. It was in this way that Apollo had become recognized as the god of music. Apollo's role as the slayer of thePython led to his association with battle and victory; hence it became theRoman custom for a paean to be sung by an army on the march and before entering into battle, when a fleet left the harbour, and also after a victory had been won.[citation needed]
In theIliad, Apollo is the healer under the gods, but he is also the bringer of disease and death with his arrows, similar to the function of theVedic god of diseaseRudra.[77] He sends a plague (λοιμός) to theAchaeans. Knowing that Apollo can prevent a recurrence of the plague he sent, they purify themselves in a ritual and offer him a large sacrifice of cows, called ahecatomb.[78]
Dorian origin
TheHomeric Hymn to Apollo depicts Apollo as an intruder from the north.[79] The connection with the northern-dwellingDorians and their initiation festivalapellai is reinforced by the monthApellaios in northwest Greek calendars.[80] The family-festival was dedicated to Apollo (Doric:Ἀπέλλων).[81]Apellaios is the month of these rites, and Apellon is the "megistos kouros" (the great Kouros).[82] However it can explain only the Doric type of the name, which is connected with theAncient Macedonian word "pella" (Pella),stone. Stones played an important part in the cult of the god, especially in the oracular shrine of Delphi (Omphalos).[83][84]
George Huxley considered the identification of Apollo with the Minoan deity Paiawon, worshipped in Crete, to have originated at Delphi.[85] In theHomeric Hymn, Apollo appears as a dolphin carrying Cretan priests to Delphi, to which site they evidently transfer their religious practices.Apollo Delphinios orDelphidios was a sea-god worshipped especially in Crete and in the islands.[86] Apollo's sisterArtemis, who was the Greek goddess of hunting, is identified with the Minoan goddessBritomartis (Diktynna), and withLaphria the Pre-Greek "mistress of the animals" who was specially worshipped at Delphi. In her earliest depictions she was accompanied by the "Master of the animals", a bow-wielding god of hunting whose name has been lost; aspects of this figure may have been absorbed into the more popular Apollo.[87] A family of priests at Delphi was named "Lab(r)yaden". The name may derive from Laphria.[88]
Anatolian origin
Illustration of a coin of Apollo Agyieus fromAmbracia
A non-Greek origin of Apollo has long been assumed in scholarship.[12] The name of Apollo's motherLeto hasLydian origin, and she was worshipped on the coasts ofAsia Minor. The inspiration oracular cult was probably introduced into Greece fromAnatolia, which is the origin ofSibyl, and where some of the oldest oracular shrines originated. Omens, symbols, purifications, and exorcisms appear in oldAssyro-Babylonian texts. These rituals were spread into the empire of theHittites, and from there into Greece.[89]
Homer pictures Apollo on the side of theTrojans, fighting against theAchaeans, during theTrojan War. He is pictured as a terrible god, less trusted by the Greeks than other gods. The god seems to be related toAppaliunas, a tutelary god ofWilusa (Troy) in Asia Minor, but the word is not complete.[90] The stones found in front of the gates ofHomeric Troy were the symbols of Apollo. A western Anatolian origin may also be bolstered by references to the parallel worship ofArtimus (Artemis) andQλdãns, whose name may be cognate with the Hittite and Doric forms, in survivingLydian texts.[91] However, recent scholars have cast doubt on the identification ofQλdãns with Apollo.[92]
The Greeks gave to him the nameἀγυιεύςagyieus as the protector god of public places and houses who wards off evil and his symbol was a tapered stone or column.[93] However, while usually Greek festivals were celebrated at thefull moon, all the feasts of Apollo were celebrated on the seventh day of the month, and the emphasis given to that day (sibutu) indicates aBabylonian origin.[94]
Proto-Indo-European
TheVedicRudra has some functions similar to those of Apollo. The terrible god is called "the archer" and the bow is also an attribute ofShiva.[95] Rudra could bring diseases with his arrows, but he was able to free people of them and his alternative Shiva is a healer physician god.[96] However theIndo-European component of Apollo does not explain his strong association with omens, exorcisms, and an oracular cult.[citation needed]
Unusually among the Olympic deities, Apollo had two cult sites that had widespread influence:Delos andDelphi. In cult practice,Delian Apollo andPythian Apollo (the Apollo of Delphi) were so distinct that they might both have shrines in the same locality.[63]Lycia was sacred to the god, for this Apollo was also called Lycian.[97][98] Apollo'scult was already fully established when written sources commenced, about 650 BCE. Apollo became extremely important to the Greek world as an oracular deity in thearchaic period, and the frequency oftheophoric names such asApollodorus orApollonios and cities namedApollonia testify to his popularity. Oracular sanctuaries to Apollo were established in other sites. In the 2nd and 3rd century CE, those atDidyma andClaros pronounced the so-called "theological oracles", in which Apollo confirms that all deities are aspects or servants of anall-encompassing, highest deity. "In the 3rd century, Apollo fell silent.Julian the Apostate (359–361) tried to revive the Delphic oracle, but failed."[12]
Oracular shrines
Delos lions
Apollo had a famousoracle in Delphi, and other notable ones inClaros andDidyma. His oracular shrine inAbae inPhocis, where he bore thetoponymic epithetAbaeus (Ἀπόλλων Ἀβαῖος,Apollon Abaios), was important enough to be consulted byCroesus.[99] His oracular shrines include:
AtClarus, on the west coast ofAsia Minor; as at Delphi a holy spring which gave off apneuma, from which the priests drank.
InCorinth, the Oracle of Corinth came from the town ofTenea, from prisoners supposedly taken in the Trojan War.
AtKhyrse, inTroad, the temple was built for Apollo Smintheus.
InDelos, there was an oracle to the Delian Apollo, during summer. The Hieron (Sanctuary) of Apollo adjacent to the Sacred Lake, was the place where the god was said to have been born.
InDelphi, thePythia became filled with thepneuma of Apollo, said to come from a spring inside theAdyton.
InDidyma, an oracle on the coast ofAnatolia, south west ofLydian (Luwian)Sardis, in which priests from the lineage of the Branchidae received inspiration by drinking from a healing spring located in the temple. Was believed to have been founded byBranchus, son or lover of Apollo.
InHierapolis Bambyce, Syria (modern Manbij), according to the treatiseDe Dea Syria, the sanctuary of theSyrian Goddess contained a robed and bearded image of Apollo. Divination was based on spontaneous movements of this image.[100]
AtPatara, inLycia, there was a seasonal winter oracle of Apollo, said to have been the place where the god went from Delos. As at Delphi the oracle at Patara was a woman.
InOropus, north ofAthens, the oracleAmphiaraus, was said to be the son of Apollo; Oropus also had a sacred spring.
in Labadea, 20 miles (32 km) east of Delphi,Trophonius, another son of Apollo, killed his brother and fled to the cave where he was also afterwards consulted as an oracle.
Partial view of the temple of Apollo Epikurios (healer) atBassae in southern Greece
Many temples were dedicated to Apollo in Greece and the Greek colonies. They show the spread of the cult of Apollo and the evolution of Greek architecture, which was mostly based on the rightness of form and on mathematical relations. Some of the earliest temples, especially inCrete, do not belong to any Greek order. It seems that the first peripteral temples were rectangular wooden structures. The different wooden elements were considereddivine, and their forms were preserved in the marble or stone elements of the temples ofDoric order. The Greeks used standard types because they believed that the world of objects was a series of typical forms which could be represented in several instances. The temples should becanonic, and the architects were trying to achieve this esthetic perfection.[101] From the earliest times there were certain rules strictly observed in rectangular peripteral and prostyle buildings. The first buildings were built narrowly in order to hold the roof, and when the dimensions changed some mathematical relations became necessary in order to keep the original forms. This probably influenced the theory of numbers ofPythagoras, who believed that behind the appearance of things there was the permanent principle of mathematics.[102]
TheDoric order dominated during the 6th and the 5th century BC but there was a mathematical problem regarding the position of the triglyphs, which could not be solved without changing the original forms. The order was almost abandoned for theIonic order, but the Ionic capital also posed an insoluble problem at the corner of a temple. Both orders were abandoned for theCorinthian order gradually during the Hellenistic age and under Rome.[citation needed]
The most important temples are:
Greek temples
Temple of the Delians atDelos, dedicated to Apollo (478 BC). 19th-century pen-and-wash restoration.Gate at theTemple of Apollo (Naxos)
Thebes, Greece: The oldest temple probably dedicated toApollo Ismenius was built in the 9th century BC. It seems that it was a curvilinear building. TheDoric temple was built in the early 7th century BC, but only some small parts have been found.[103] A festival calledDaphnephoria was celebrated every ninth year in honour of Apollo Ismenius (or Galaxius). The people held laurel branches (daphnai), and at the head of the procession walked a youth (chosen priest of Apollo), who was called "daphnephoros".[104]
Eretria: According to the Homeric hymn to Apollo, the god arrived on the plain, seeking for a location to establish its oracle. The first temple ofApollo Daphnephoros, "Apollo, laurel-bearer", or "carrying off Daphne", is dated to 800 BC. The temple was curvilinearhecatombedon (a hundred feet). In a smaller building were kept the bases of the laurel branches which were used for the first building. Another temple probably peripteral was built in the 7th century BC, with an inner row of wooden columns over its Geometric predecessor. It was rebuilt peripteral around 510 BC, with thestylobate measuring 21.00 x 43.00 m. The number ofpteron column was 6 x 14.[105][106]
Dreros (Crete). The temple ofApollo Delphinios dates from the 7th century BC, or probably from the middle of the 8th century BC. According to the legend, Apollo appeared as a dolphin, and carried Cretan priests to the port ofDelphi.[107] The dimensions of the plan are 10.70 x 24.00 m and the building was not peripteral. It contains column-bases of theMinoan type, which may be considered as the predecessors of theDoric columns.[108]
Gortyn (Crete). A temple ofPythian Apollo, was built in the 7th century BC. The plan measured 19.00 x 16.70 m and it was not peripteral. The walls were solid, made from limestone, and there was a single door on the east side.[citation needed]
Thermon (West Greece): TheDoric temple ofApollo Thermios, was built in the middle of the 7th century BC. It was built on an older curvilinear building dating perhaps from the 10th century, on which aperistyle was added. The temple was narrow, and the number of pteron columns (probably wooden) was 5 x 15. There was a single row of inner columns. It measures 12.13 x 38.23 m at the stylobate, which was made from stones.[109]
Floor plan of the temple of Apollo, Corinth
Corinth: ADoric temple was built in the 6th century BC. The temple'sstylobate measures 21.36 x 53.30 m, and the number of pteron columns was 6 x 15. There was a double row of inner columns. The style is similar to the Temple of Alcmeonidae atDelphi.[110] The Corinthians were considered to be the inventors of theDoric order.[109]
Napes (Lesbos): AnAeolic temple probably ofApollo Napaios was built in the 7th century BC. Some special capitals with floral ornament have been found, which are calledAeolic, and it seems that they were borrowed from the East.[111]
Naukratis: AnIonic temple was built in the early 6th century BC. Only some fragments have been found and the earlier ones, made from limestone, are identified among the oldest of theIonic order.[112]
Floor plan of the temple of Apollo, Syracuse
Syracuse, Sicily: ADoric temple was built at the beginning of the 6th century BC. The temple'sstylobate measures 21.47 x 55.36 m and the number of pteron columns was 6 x 17. It was the first temple in Greek west built completely out of stone. A second row of columns were added, obtaining the effect of an inner porch.[113]
Selinus (Sicily):TheDoricTemple C dates from 550 BC, and it was probably dedicated to Apollo. The temple's stylobate measures 10.48 x 41.63 m and the number of pteron columns was 6 x 17. There was a portico with a second row of columns, which is also attested for the temple atSyracuse.[114]
Chios: AnIonic temple ofApollo Phanaios was built at the end of the 6th century BC. Only some small parts have been found and the capitals had floral ornament.[111]
Abae (Phocis). The temple was destroyed by thePersians in the invasion ofXerxes in 480 BC, and later by theBoeotians. It was rebuilt byHadrian.[116] The oracle was in use from earlyMycenaean times to the Roman period, and shows the continuity of Mycenaean and Classical Greek religion.[117]
Floor plan of the Temple of Apollo at Bassae
Bassae (Peloponnesus): A temple dedicated toApollo Epikourios ("Apollo the helper"), was built in 430 BC, designed byIktinos. It combinedDoric andIonic elements, and the earliest use of a column with aCorinthian capital in the middle.[118] The temple is of a relatively modest size, with thestylobate measuring 14.5 x 38.3 metres containing aDoricperistyle of 6 x 15 columns. The roof left a central space open to admit light and air.[119]
Ambracia: ADoric peripteral temple dedicated toApollo Pythios Sotir was built in 500 BC, at the centre of the Greek cityArta. Only some parts have been found, and it seems that the temple was built on earlier sanctuaries dedicated to Apollo. The temple measures 20.75 x 44.00 m at thestylobate. The foundation which supported the statue of the god, still exists.[120]
Temple of Apollo, Didyma
Didyma (nearMiletus): The giganticIonic temple ofApollo Didymaios started around 540 BC. The construction ceased and then it was restarted in 330 BC. The temple is dipteral, with an outer row of 10 x 21 columns, and it measures 28.90 x 80.75 m at the stylobate.[121]
Clarus (near ancientColophon): According to the legend, the famous seer Calchas, on his return from Troy, came to Clarus. He challenged the seer Mopsus, and died when he lost.[122] TheDoric temple ofApollo Clarius was probably built in the 3rd century BC., and it was peripteral with 6 x 11 columns. It was reconstructed at the end of the Hellenistic period, and later from the emperorHadrian but Pausanias claims that it was still incomplete in the 2nd century BC.[123]
Hamaxitus (Troad): In theIliad,Chryses the priest of Apollo, addresses the god with the epithet Smintheus (Lord of Mice), related to the god's ancient role as bringer of the disease (plague). Recent excavations indicate that the Hellenistic temple ofApollo Smintheus was constructed in 150–125 BC, but the symbol of the mouse god was used on coinage probably from the 4th century .[124] The temple measures 40.00 x 23.00 m at thestylobate, and the number of pteron columns was 8 x 14.[125]
Pythion (Ancient Greek:Πύθιον), this was the name of a shrine of Apollo atAthens near theIlisos river. It was created by Peisistratos, and tripods were placed there by those who had won in the cyclic chorus at theThargelia.[126]
Apollonia Pontica: There were two temples of Apollo Healer in the city. One from the Late Archaic period and the other from the Early Classical period.[128]
An altar of Apollo Acritas was atLacedaemon. In addition, above a sanctuary surnamed Gasepton of Earth in Lacedaemon was set up the Maleatian Apollo.[131]
Etruscan and Roman temples
Veii (Etruria): The temple of Apollo was built in the late 6th century BC, indicating the spread of Apollo's culture (Aplu) in Etruria. There was a prostyle porch, which is calledTuscan, and a triple cella 18.50 m wide.[132]
Falerii Veteres (Etruria): A temple of Apollo was built probably in the 4th–3rd century BC. Parts of a terracotta capital, and a terracotta base have been found. It seems that the Etruscan columns were derived from the archaic Doric.[132] A cult ofApollo Soranus is attested by one inscription found near Falerii.[133]
Pompeii (Italy): The cult of Apollo was widespread in the region of Campania since the 6th century BC. The temple was built in 120 BC, but its beginnings lie in the 6th century BC. It was reconstructed after an earthquake in AD 63. It demonstrates a mixing of styles which formed the basis of Roman architecture. The columns in front of the cella formed aTuscan prostyle porch, and the cella is situated unusually far back. The peripteral colonnade of 48Ionic columns was placed in such a way that the emphasis was given to the front side.[134]
Temple of Apollo Sosianus, Rome
Rome: Thetemple of Apollo Sosianus and thetemple of Apollo Medicus. The first temple building dates to 431 BC, and was dedicated to Apollo Medicus (the doctor), after a plague of 433 BC.[135] It was rebuilt byGaius Sosius, probably in 34 BC. Only three columns withCorinthian capitals exist today. It seems that the cult of Apollo had existed in this area since at least to the mid-5th century BC.[136]
Rome: Thetemple of Apollo Palatinus was located on the Palatine hill within the sacred boundary of the city. It was dedicated byAugustus in 28 BC. The façade of the original temple wasIonic and it was constructed from solid blocks of marble. Many famous statues by Greek masters were on display in and around the temple, including a marble statue of the god at the entrance and a statue of Apollo in the cella.[137]
Melite (modernMdina, Malta): ATemple of Apollo was built in the city in the 2nd century AD. Its remains were discovered in the 18th century, and many of its architectural fragments were dispersed among private collections or reworked into new sculptures. Parts of the temple's podium were rediscovered in 2002.[138]
In the myths, Apollo is the son ofZeus, the king of the gods, andLeto, his previous wife[139] or one of his mistresses. Apollo often appears in the myths, plays and hymns either directly or indirectly through his oracles. As Zeus' favorite son, he had direct access to the mind of Zeus and was willing to reveal this knowledge to humans. A divinity beyond human comprehension, he appears both as a beneficial and a wrathful god.[citation needed]
Birth
Leto fleeing with Artemis and Apollo, AD 350–400, in Kunstsien Stichting
Homeric Hymn to Apollo
Pregnant with the offspring of Zeus, Leto wandered through many lands wanting to give birth to Apollo. However all the lands rejected her out of fear. Upon reaching Delos, Leto requested the island to shelter her, and that in return her son would bring fame and prosperity to the island. Delos then revealed to Leto that Apollo was rumoured to be the god who will "greatly lord it among gods and men all over the fruitful earth". For this reason, all the lands were fearful and Delos feared that Apollo would cast her aside once he is born. Hearing this, Leto swore on the river Styx that if she is allowed to give birth on the island, her son would honour Delos the most amongst all the other lands. Assured by this, Delos agreed to assist Leto. All goddesses except Hera also came to aid Leto.[140]
However, Hera had trickedEileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, to stay on Olympus, due to which Leto was unable to give birth. The goddesses then convinced Iris to go bring Eileithyia by offering her a necklace of amber 9 yards (8.2 m) long. Iris did accordingly and persuaded Eileithyia to step onto the island. Thus, clutching a palm tree, Leto finally gave birth after labouring for nine days and nine nights, with Apollo "leaping forth" from his mother's womb. The goddesses washed the newborn, covered him in a white garment and fastened golden bands around him. As Leto was unable to feed him,Themis, the goddess of divine law, fed him nectar andambrosia. Upon tasting the divine food, the child broke free of the bands fastened onto him and declared that he would be the master oflyre and archery, and interpret the will of Zeus to humankind. He then started to walk, which caused the island to be filled with gold.[140]
Callimachus'Hymn to Delos
The island Delos used to beAsteria, a goddess who jumped into the waters to escape the advances of Zeus and became a free-floating island of the same name. When Leto got pregnant, Hera was told that Leto's son would become more dear to Zeus than Ares. Enraged by this, Hera watched over the heavens and sent out Ares and Iris to prevent Leto from giving birth on the earth. Ares, stationed over the mainland, and Iris, over the islands, threatened all the lands and prevented them from helping Leto.[141]
When Leto arrived at Thebes, fetal Apollo prophesied from his mother's womb that in the future he would punish a slanderous woman in Thebes (Niobe), so he did not want to be born there. Leto then went to Thessaly and sought the help of the river nymphs who were the daughters of the river Peneus. Though he was initially fearful and reluctant, Peneus later decided to let Leto give birth in his waters. He did not change his mind even when Ares produced a terrifying sound and threatened to hurl mountain peaks into the river. But Leto herself declined his help and departed, as she did not want him to suffer for her sake.[141]
After being turned away from various lands, Apollo spoke again from the womb, asking his mother to take look at the floating island in front of her and expressing his wish to be born there. When Leto approached Asteria, all the other islands fled. But Asteria welcomed Leto without any fear of Hera. Walking on the island, she sat down against a palm tree and asked Apollo to be born. During the childbirth, swans circled the island seven times, a sign that later on Apollo would play the seven-stringed lyre. When Apollo finally "leapt forth" from his mother's womb, the nymphs of the island sang a hymn to Eileithyia that was heard to the heavens. The moment Apollo was born, the entire island, including the trees and the waters, became gold. Asteria bathed the newborn, swaddled him and fed him with her breast milk. The island had become rooted and was later called Delos.[141]
Hera was no longer angry, as Zeus had managed to calm her down; and she held no grudge against Asteria, since Asteria had rejected Zeus in the past.[141]
Pindar is the earliest source who explicitly calls Apollo and Artemis as twins. Here, Asteria is also stated to be Leto's sister. Wanting to escape Zeus' advances, she flung herself into the sea and became a floating rock called Ortygia until the twins were born.[142] When Leto stepped on the rock, four pillars with adamantine bases rose from the earth and held up the rock.[143] When Apollo and Artemis were born, their bodies shone radiantly and a chant was sung by Eileithyia andLachesis, one of the threeMoirai.[144]
Hyginus
Scorning the advances of Zeus, Asteria transformed herself into a bird and jumped into a sea. From her, an island rose which was called Ortygia.[145] When Hera discovered that Leto was pregnant with Zeus' child, she decreed that Leto can give birth only in a place where sun does not shine. During this time, the monster Python also started hounding Leto with an intent of killing her, because he had foreseen his death coming at the hands of Leto's offspring. However, on Zeus' orders,Boreas carried away Leto and entrusted her toPoseidon. To protect her, Poseidon took her to the island Ortygia and covered it with waves so that the sun would not shine on it. Leto gave birth clinging to an olive tree and henceforth the island was called Delos.[146]
Aside from those mentioned above, more variations on the story of Apollo's birth include:
Aelian states that it took Leto twelve days and twelve nights to travel from Hyperborea to Delos.[147] Leto changed herself into a she-wolf before giving birth. This is given as the reason why Homer describes Apollo as the "wolf-born god".[148][149]
Libanius wrote that neither land nor visible islands would receive Leto, but by the will of Zeus Delos then became visible, and thus received Leto and the children.[150]
According to Strabo, theCuretes helped Leto by creating loud noises with their weapons and thus frightening Hera, they concealed Leto's childbirth.[151]
Theognis wrote that the island was filled with ambrosial fragrance when Apollo was born, and the Earth laughed with joy.[152]
In some versions,Artemis was born first and subsequently assisted with the birth of Apollo.[153][154]
While in some accounts Apollo's birth itself fixed the floating Delos to the earth, there are accounts of Apollo securing Delos to the bottom of the ocean a little while later.[155][156] This island became sacred to Apollo and was one of the major cult centres of the god.Apollo was born on the seventh day (ἑβδομαγενής,hebdomagenes)[157] of the monthThargelion—according to Delian tradition—or of the monthBysios—according to Delphian tradition. The seventh and twentieth, the days of the new and full moon, were ever afterwards held sacred to him.[20]
Hyperborea, the mystical land of eternal spring, venerated Apollo above all the gods. The Hyperboreans always sang and danced in his honor and hostedPythian games.[158] There, a vast forest of beautiful trees was called "the garden of Apollo". Apollo spent the winter months among the Hyperboreans,[159][160] leaving his shrine in Delphi under the care of Dionysus. His absence from the world caused coldness and this was marked as his annual death. No prophecies were issued during this time.[161] He returned to the world during the beginning of the spring. TheTheophania festival was held inDelphi to celebrate his return.[162]
However, Diodorus Silculus states that Apollo visited Hyperborea every nineteen years. This nineteen-year period was called by the Greeks as the 'year of Meton', the time period in which the stars returned to their initial positions. And that visiting Hyperborea at that time, Apollo played on the cithara and danced continuously from the vernal equinox until the rising of thePleiades (constellations).[163]
Hyperborea was also Leto's birthplace. It is said that Leto came to Delos from Hyperborea accompanied by a pack of wolves. Henceforth, Hyperborea became Apollo's winter home and wolves became sacred to him. His intimate connection to wolves is evident from his epithetLyceus, meaningwolf-like. But Apollo was also the wolf-slayer in his role as the god who protected flocks from predators. The Hyperborean worship of Apollo bears the strongest marks of Apollo being worshipped as the sun god. Shamanistic elements in Apollo's cult are often liked to his Hyperborean origin, and he is likewise speculated to have originated as a solar shaman.[164][165] Shamans likeAbaris andAristeas were also the followers of Apollo, who hailed from Hyperborea.[citation needed]
In myths, the tears of amber Apollo shed when his son Asclepius died mixed with the waters of the river Eridanos, which surrounded Hyperborea. Apollo also buried in Hyperborea the arrow which he had used to kill theCyclopes. He later gave this arrow to Abaris.[166]
Childhood and youth
Growing up, Apollo was nursed by the nymphs Korythalia andAletheia, the personification of truth.[167]Phoebe, his grandmother, gave the oracular shrine ofDelphi to Apollo as a birthday gift.[168]
As a four-year-old child, Apollo built a foundation and an altar on Delos using the horns of the goats that his sister Artemis hunted. Since he learnt the art of building when young, he came to be known asArchegetes, (the founder of towns) and guided men to build new cities.[169] To keep the child amused, the Delian nymphs ran around the altar beating it, and then with their hands tied behind their backs, bit an olive branch. It later became a custom for all the sailors who passed by the island to do the same.[170]
From his father Zeus, Apollo received a golden headband and a chariot driven by swans.[171][172]
In his early years when Apollo spent his time herding cows, he was reared by theThriae, who trained him and enhanced his prophetic skills.[173] The god Pan was also said to have mentored him in the prophetic art.[174] Apollo is also said to have invented the lyre, and along with Artemis, the art of archery. He then taught the humans the art of healing and archery.[175]
Soon after giving birth to her twins, Leto fled from Delos fearing Hera. Upon reaching Lycia, her infants had drained all of their mother's milk and cried for more to satisfy their hunger. The exhausted mother then tried drinking from a nearby lake but was stopped by someLycian peasants. When she begged them to let her quench her thirst, the haughty peasants not only threatened her but also stirred the mud in the lake to dirty the waters. Angered by this, Leto turned them into frogs.[176]
In a slightly varied version, Leto took her infants and crossed over to Lycia where she attempted to bathe her children in a spring she found there. But the local herdsmen drove her away. After that, some wolves found Leto and guided her to the river Xanthos, where Leto was able to bathe her children and quench her thirst. She then returned to the spring and turned the herdsmen into frogs.[177]
Python, achthonic serpent-dragon, was a child of Gaia and the guardian of theDelphic Oracle.In the Callimachus' hymn to Delos, fetal Apollo foresees the death of Python at his hands.[170]
In the Homeric hymn to Apollo, Python was a female drakon and the nurse of the giantTyphon whom Hera had created to overthrow Zeus. She was described as a terrifying monster and a "bloody plague". Apollo, in his pursuit to establish his worship, came across Python and killed her with a single arrow shot from his bow. He let the corpse rot under the sun and declared himself the oracular deity of Delphi.[178] Other authors have Apollo kill the monster using a hundred arrows[179][180] or a thousand arrows.[181]
According to Euripides, Leto had brought her twins to the cliffs of Parnassus shortly after giving birth to them. Upon seeing the monster there, Apollo, still a child being carried in his mother's arms, leapt forth and killed Python.[182] Some authors also mention that Python was killed for displaying lustful affections towards Leto.[183][184]
In another account, Python chased pregnant Leto with an intent of killing her because his death was fated to come at the hands of Leto's child. However, he had to stop the chase when Leto came under the protection of Poseidon. After his birth, four days old Apollo killed the serpent with the bow and arrows gifted to him by Hephaestus and avenged the trouble given to his mother. The god then put the bones of the slain monster in a cauldron and deposited it in his temple.[185]
This legend is also narrated as the origin of the cry "Hië paian". According to Athenaeus, Python attacked Leto and her twins during their visit to Delphi. Taking Artemis into her arms, Leto climbed upon a rock and cried at Apollo to shoot the monster. The cry let out by her, "ιε, παῖ" ("Shoot, boy") later got slightly altered as "ἰὴ παιών" (Hië paian), an exclamation to avert evils.[186] Callimachus attributes the origin of this phrase to the Delphians, who let out the cry to encourage Apollo when the young god battled with Python.[187]
Strabo has recorded a slightly different version where Python was actually a cruel and lawless man who was also known by the name "Drakon". When Apollo was teaching the humans to cultivate fruits and civilise themselves, the residents of Parnassus complained to the god about Python. In response to their pleas, Apollo killed the man with his arrows. During the fight, the Parnassians shouted"Hië paian" to encourage the god.[188]
Establishment of worship in Delphi
Continuing from his victory over Python, the Homeric hymn describes how the young god established his worship among the humans. As Apollo was pondering about what kind of men he should recruit to serve him, he spotted a ship full of Cretan merchants or pirates. He took the form of a dolphin and sprang aboard the ship. Whenever the oblivious crew members tried throwing the dolphin overboard, the god shook the ship until the crew was awed into submission. Apollo then created a breeze that directed the ship to Delphi. Upon reaching the land, he revealed himself as a god and initiated them as his priests. He instructed them to guard his temple and always keep righteousness in their hearts.[189]
Alcaeus narrates the following account: Zeus, who had adorned his newborn son with a golden headband, also provided him with a chariot driven by swans and instructed Apollo to visit Delphi to establish his laws among the people. But Apollo disobeyed his father and went to the land ofHyperborea. The Delphians continuously sung paeans in his honour and pleaded him to come back to them. The god returned only after a year and then carried out Zeus' orders.[171][190]
In other variations, the shrine at Delphi was simply handed over to Apollo by his grandmother Phoebe as a gift,[168] or Themis herself inspired him to be the oracular voice of Delphi.[191]
However, in many other accounts, Apollo had to overcome certain obstacles before he was able to establish himself at Delphi. Gaea came in conflict with Apollo for killing Python and claiming the Delphic oracle for himself. According to Pindar, she sought to banish Apollo to Tartarus as a punishment.[192][193] According to Euripides, soon after Apollo took the ownership of the oracle, Gaea started sending prophetic dreams to the humans. As a result, people stopped visiting Delphi to obtain prophecies. Troubled by this, Apollo went to Olympus and supplicated to Zeus. Zeus, admiring the ambitions of his young son, granted his request by putting an end to the dream visions. This sealed the role of Apollo as the oracular deity of Delphi.[194]
Since Apollo had committed a blood crime, he also had to be purified. Pausanias has recorded two of the many variations of this purification. In one of them, both Apollo and Artemis fled to Sicyon and were purified there.[195] In the other tradition that had been prevalent among the Cretans, Apollo alone travelled to Crete and was purified byCarmanor.[196] In another account, the Argive kingCrotopus was the one who performed the purification rites on Apollo alone.[197]
According the Aristonous and Aelian, Apollo was purified by the will of Zeus in theVale of Tempe.[198] Aristonous has continued the tale, saying that Apollo was escorted back to Delphi by Athena. As a token of gratitude, he later built a temple for Athena at Delphi, which served as a threshold for his own temple.[199] Upon reaching Delphi, Apollo convinced Gaea and Themis into handing over the seat of oracle to him. To celebrate this event, other immortals also graced Apollo with gifts – Poseidon gave him the land of Delphi, the Delphian nymphs gifted him the Corycian cave, and Artemis set her dogs to patrol and safeguard the land.[200]
Some others have also said that Apollo was exiled and subjected to servitude under kingAdmetus as a means of punishment for the murder he had committed.[201] It was when he was serving as a cowherd under Admetus that the theft of the cattle by Hermes happened.[202][203] The servitude was said to have lasted for either one year,[204][205] or one great year (a cycle of eight years),[206][207] or nine years.[208]
Plutarch, however, has mentioned a variation where Apollo was neither purified in Tempe nor banished to Earth as a servant for nine years, but was driven out to another world for nine great years. The god who returned was cleansed and purified, thus becoming a "true Phoebus – that is to say, clear and bright". He then took over the Delphic oracle, which had been under the care of Themis in his absence.[209] Henceforth, Apollo became the god who cleansed himself from the sin of murder, made men aware of their guilt and purified them.[210]
The Pythian games were also established by Apollo, either as funeral games to honor Python[185][211] or to celebrate his own victory.[212][213][181] ThePythia was Apollo's high priestess and his mouthpiece through whom he gave prophecies.[214]
Tityus
Apollo slayingTityos, Attic red-figure kylix, 460–450 BC
Tityus was another giant who tried to rape Leto, either on his own accord when she was on her way to Delphi[215][216] or at the order of Hera.[217] Leto called upon on her children who instantly slew the giant. Apollo, still a young boy, shot him with his arrows.[218][219] In some accounts, Artemis also joined him in protecting their mother by attacking Tityos with her arrows.[220][221] For this act, he was banished to Tartarus and there he was pegged to the rock floor and stretched on an area of 9 acres (36,000 m2), while a pair of vultures feasted daily on his liver[215] or his heart.[216]
Another account recorded by Strabo says that Tityus was not a giant but a lawless man whom Apollo killed at the request of the residents.[188]
Admetus was the king ofPherae, who was known for his hospitality. When Apollo was exiled from Olympus for killing Python, he served as a herdsman under Admetus, who was then young and unmarried. Apollo is said to have shared a romantic relationship with Admetus during his stay.[160] After completing his years of servitude, Apollo went back to Olympus as a god.[citation needed]
Because Admetus had treated Apollo well, the god conferred great benefits on him in return. Apollo's mere presence is said to have made the cattle give birth to twins.[222][160] Apollo helped Admetus win the hand ofAlcestis, the daughter ofKing Pelias,[223][224] by taming a lion and a boar to draw Admetus' chariot. He was present during their wedding to give his blessings. When Admetus angered the goddess Artemis by forgetting to give her the due offerings, Apollo came to the rescue and calmed his sister.[223] When Apollo learnt of Admetus' untimely death, he convinced or tricked theFates into letting Admetus live past his time.[223][224]
According to another version, or perhaps some years later, when Zeus struck down Apollo's sonAsclepius with a lightning bolt for resurrecting the dead, Apollo in revenge killed theCyclopes, who had fashioned the bolt for Zeus.[222] Apollo would have been banished toTartarus for this, but his motherLeto intervened, and reminding Zeus of their old love, pleaded with him not to kill their son. Zeus obliged and sentenced Apollo to one year ofhard labor once again under Admetus.[222]
The love between Apollo and Admetus was a favored topic of Roman poets likeOvid andServius.[citation needed]
The fate ofNiobe was prophesied by Apollo while he was still in Leto's womb.[160] Niobe was the queen ofThebes and wife ofAmphion. She displayedhubris when she boasted that she was superior to Leto because she had fourteen children (Niobids), seven male and seven female, while Leto had only two. She further mocked Apollo's effeminate appearance and Artemis' manly appearance. Leto, insulted by this, told her children to punish Niobe. Accordingly, Apollo killed Niobe's sons, and Artemis her daughters. According to some versions of the myth, among the Niobids, Chloris and her brother Amyclas were not killed because they prayed to Leto. Amphion, at the sight of his dead sons, either killed himself or was killed by Apollo after swearing revenge.[citation needed]
A devastated Niobe fled toMount Sipylos inAsia Minor and turned into stone as she wept. Her tears formed the riverAchelous. Zeus had turned all the people of Thebes to stone and so no one buried the Niobids until the ninth day after their death, when the gods themselves entombed them.[citation needed]
When Chloris married and had children, Apollo granted her sonNestor the years he had taken away from the Niobids. Hence, Nestor was able to live for 3 generations.[225]
Once Apollo andPoseidon served under the Trojan kingLaomedon in accordance with Zeus' words. Apollodorus states that the gods willingly went to the king disguised as humans in order to check his hubris.[226] Apollo guarded the cattle of Laomedon in the valleys of Mount Ida, while Poseidon built the walls of Troy.[227] Other versions make both Apollo and Poseidon the builders of the wall. In Ovid's account, Apollo completes his task by playing his tunes on his lyre.[citation needed]
InPindar's odes, the gods took a mortal namedAeacus as their assistant.[228] When the work was completed, three snakes rushed against the wall, and though the two that attacked the sections of the wall built by the gods fell down dead, the third forced its way into the city through the portion of the wall built by Aeacus. Apollo immediately prophesied thatTroy would fall at the hands of Aeacus's descendants, theAeacidae (i.e. his son Telamon joinedHeracles when he sieged the city during Laomedon's rule. Later, his great-grandsonNeoptolemus was present in the wooden horse that leads to the downfall of Troy).[citation needed]
However, the king not only refused to give the gods the wages he had promised, but also threatened to bind their feet and hands, and sell them as slaves. Angered by the unpaid labour and the insults, Apollo infected the city with a pestilence and Poseidon sent the sea monsterCetus. To deliver the city from it, Laomedon had to sacrifice his daughterHesione (who would later be saved byHeracles).[citation needed]
During his stay in Troy, Apollo had a lover named Ourea, who was a nymph and daughter of Poseidon. Together they had a son named Ileus, whom Apollo loved dearly.[229]
Apollo sided with the Trojans during theTrojan War waged by the Greeks against the Trojans.
During the war, the Greek kingAgamemnon capturedChryseis, the daughter of Apollo's priestChryses, and refused to return her. Angered by this, Apollo shot arrows infected with the plague into the Greek encampment. He demanded that they return the girl, and the Achaeans (Greeks) complied, indirectly causing theanger of Achilles, which is the theme of theIliad.
Receiving theaegis from Zeus, Apollo entered the battlefield as per his father's command, causing great terror to the enemy with his war cry. He pushed the Greeks back and destroyed many of the soldiers. He is described as "the rouser of armies" because he rallied the Trojan army when they were falling apart.
When Zeus allowed the other gods to get involved in the war, Apollo was provoked by Poseidon to a duel. However, Apollo declined to fight him, saying that he would not fight his uncle for the sake of mortals.
When the Greek heroDiomedes injured the Trojan heroAeneas,Aphrodite tried to rescue him, but Diomedes injured her as well. Apollo then enveloped Aeneas in a cloud to protect him. He repelled the attacks Diomedes made on him and gave the hero a stern warning to abstain from attacking a god. Aeneas was then taken to Pergamos, a sacred spot inTroy, where he was healed.
After the death ofSarpedon, a son of Zeus, Apollo rescued the corpse from the battlefield as per his father's wish and cleaned it. He then gave it to Sleep (Hypnos) and Death (Thanatos). Apollo had also once convinced Athena to stop the war for that day, so that the warriors can relieve themselves for a while.
The Trojan heroHector (who, according to some, was the god's own son byHecuba[230]) was favored by Apollo. When he got severely injured, Apollo healed him and encouraged him to take up his arms. During a duel with Achilles, when Hector was about to lose, Apollo hid Hector in a cloud of mist to save him. When the Greek warriorPatroclus tried to get into the fort of Troy, he was stopped by Apollo. Encouraging Hector to attack Patroclus, Apollo stripped the armour of the Greek warrior and broke his weapons. Patroclus was eventually killed by Hector. At last, after Hector's fated death, Apollo protected his corpse from Achilles' attempt to mutilate it by creating a magical cloud over the corpse, shielding it from the rays of thesun.
Apollo held a grudge against Achilles throughout the war because Achilles had murdered his sonTenes before the war began and brutally assassinated his sonTroilus in his own temple. Not only did Apollo save Hector from Achilles, he also tricked Achilles by disguising himself as a Trojan warrior and driving him away from the gates.
Finally, Apollo caused Achilles' death by guiding an arrow shot byParis intoAchilles' heel. In some versions, Apollo himself killed Achilles by taking the disguise of Paris.
Apollo helped many Trojan warriors—includingAgenor,Polydamas, andGlaucus—in the battlefield. Though he greatly favored the Trojans, Apollo was bound to follow the orders of Zeus and served his father loyally during the war.
ApolloKourotrophos is the god who nurtures and protects children and the young, especially boys. He oversees their education and their passage into adulthood. Education is said to have originated from Apollo and theMuses. Many myths have him train his children. It was a custom for boys to cut and dedicate their long hair to Apollo after reaching adulthood.
Chiron, the abandonedcentaur, was fostered by Apollo, who instructed him in medicine, prophecy, archery and more. Chiron would later become a great teacher himself.
Asclepius in his childhood gained much knowledge pertaining to medicinal arts from his father. However, he was later entrusted to Chiron for further education.
Anius, Apollo's son byRhoeo, was abandoned by his mother soon after his birth. Apollo brought him up and educated him in mantic arts. Anius later became the priest of Apollo and the king of Delos.
Iamus was the son of Apollo andEvadne. When Evadne went into labour, Apollo sent theMoirai to assist his lover. After the child was born, Apollo sent snakes to feed the child some honey. When Iamus reached the age of education, Apollo took him to Olympia and taught him many arts, including the ability to understand and explain the languages of birds.[231]
Idmon was educated by Apollo to be a seer. Even though he foresaw his death that would happen in his journey with theArgonauts, he embraced his destiny and died a brave death. To commemorate his son's bravery, Apollo commanded Boeotians to build a town around the tomb of the hero, and to honor him.[232]
Apollo adoptedCarnus, the abandoned son of Zeus andEuropa. He reared the child with the help of his mother Leto and educated him to be a seer.
When his sonMelaneus reached the age of marriage, Apollo asked the princessStratonice to be his son's bride and carried her away from her home when she agreed.
Apollo saved a shepherd boy (name unknown) from death in a large deep cave, by means of vultures. To thank him, the shepherd built Apollo a temple under the name Vulturius.[233]
God of music
The music of the spheres. Shown in this engraving from Renaissance Italy are Apollo, the Muses, the planetary spheres and musical ratios.Apollo,Hyacinth andCyparissus singing and playing, byAlexander Ivanov 1831–1834
Immediately after his birth, Apollo demanded a lyre and invented thepaean, thus becoming the god of music. As the divine singer, he is the patron of poets, singers and musicians. The invention of string music is attributed to him.Plato said that the innate ability of humans to take delight in music, rhythm and harmony is the gift of Apollo and the Muses.[234] According toSocrates, ancient Greeks believed that Apollo is the god who directs the harmony and makes all things move together, both for the gods and the humans. For this reason, he was calledHomopolon before theHomo was replaced byA.[235][236] Apollo's harmonious music delivered people from their pain, and hence, like Dionysus, he is also called the liberator.[160] The swans, which were considered to be the most musical among the birds, were believed to be the "singers of Apollo". They are Apollo's sacred birds and acted as his vehicle during his travel toHyperborea.[160]Aelian says that when the singers would sing hymns to Apollo, the swans would join the chant in unison.[237]
Among thePythagoreans, the study of mathematics and music were connected to the worship of Apollo, their principal deity.[238][239][240] Their belief was that music purifies the soul, just as medicine purifies the body. They also believed that music was delegated to the same mathematical laws of harmony as the mechanics of the cosmos, evolving into an idea known as themusic of the spheres.[241]
Apollo appears as the companion of theMuses, and asMusagetes ("leader of Muses") he leads them in dance. They spend their time onParnassus, which is one of their sacred places. Apollo is also the lover of the Muses and by them he became the father of famous musicians likeOrpheus andLinus.[citation needed]
Apollo is often found delighting the immortal gods with his songs and music on thelyre.[242] In his role as the god of banquets, he was always present to play music at weddings of the gods, like the marriage ofEros andPsyche,Peleus andThetis. He is a frequent guest of theBacchanalia, and many ancient ceramics depict him being at ease amidst themaenads and satyrs.[243] Apollo also participated in musical contests when challenged by others. He was the victor in all those contests, but he tended to punish his opponents severely for theirhubris.[citation needed]
Detail of Apollo's lyre
Apollo's lyre
The invention of the lyre is attributed either toHermes or to Apollo himself.[244] Distinctions have been made that Hermes invented lyre made of tortoise shell, whereas the lyre Apollo invented was a regular lyre.[245]
Myths tell that the infant Hermes stole a number of Apollo's cows and took them to a cave in the woods nearPylos, covering their tracks. In the cave, he found atortoise and killed it, then removed the insides. He used one of the cow's intestines and the tortoise shell and made hislyre.[citation needed]
The friendship of Apollo and Hermes, byNoël Coypel
Upon discovering the theft, Apollo confronted Hermes and asked him to return his cattle. When Hermes acted innocent, Apollo took the matter to Zeus. Zeus, having seen the events, sided with Apollo, and ordered Hermes to return the cattle.[246] Hermes then began to play music on the lyre he had invented. Apollo fell in love with the instrument and offered to exchange the cattle for the lyre. Hence, Apollo then became the master of the lyre.[citation needed]
According to other versions, Apollo had invented the lyre himself, whose strings he tore in repenting of the excess punishment he had given toMarsyas. Hermes' lyre, therefore, would be a reinvention.[247]
OncePan had the audacity to compare his music with that of Apollo and to challenge the god of music to a contest. The mountain-godTmolus was chosen to umpire. Pan blew on his pipes, and with his rustic melody gave great satisfaction to himself and his faithful follower,Midas, who happened to be present. Then, Apollo struck the strings of his lyre. It was so beautiful that Tmolus at once awarded the victory to Apollo, and everyone was pleased with the judgement. Only Midas dissented and questioned the justice of the award. Apollo did not want to suffer such a depraved pair of ears any longer, and caused them to become the ears of a donkey.[citation needed]
Contest with Marsyas
Marsyas was asatyr who was punished by Apollo for hishubris. He had found anaulos on the ground, tossed away after being invented byAthena because it made her cheeks puffy. Athena had also placed a curse upon the instrument, that whoever would pick it up would be severely punished. When Marsyas played the flute, everyone became frenzied with joy. This led Marsyas to think that he was better than Apollo, and he challenged the god to a musical contest. The contest was judged by theMuses, or the nymphs ofNysa. Athena was also present to witness the contest.[citation needed]
Marsyas taunted Apollo for "wearing his hair long, for having a fair face and smooth body, for his skill in so many arts".[248] He also further said,
'His [Apollo] hair is smooth and made into tufts and curls that fall about his brow and hang before his face. His body is fair from head to foot, his limbs shine bright, his tongue gives oracles, and he is equally eloquent in prose or verse, propose which you will. What of his robes so fine in texture, so soft to the touch, aglow with purple? What of his lyre that flashes gold, gleams white with ivory, and shimmers with rainbow gems? What of his song, so cunning and so sweet? Nay, all these allurements suit with naught save luxury. To virtue they bring shame alone!'[248]
The Muses and Athena sniggered at this comment. The contestants agreed to take turns displaying their skills and the rule was that the victor could "do whatever he wanted" to the loser.[citation needed]
According to one account, after the first round, they both were deemed equal by theNysiads. But in the next round, Apollo decided to play on his lyre and add his melodious voice to his performance. Marsyas argued against this, saying that Apollo would have an advantage and accused Apollo of cheating. But Apollo replied that since Marsyas played the flute, which needed air blown from the throat, it was similar to singing, and that either they both should get an equal chance to combine their skills or none of them should use their mouths at all. The nymphs decided that Apollo's argument was just. Apollo then played his lyre and sang at the same time, mesmerising the audience. Marsyas could not do this. Apollo was declared the winner and, angered with Marsyas' haughtiness and his accusations, decided to flay the satyr.[249]
According to another account, Marsyas played his flute out of tune at one point and accepted his defeat. Out of shame, he assigned to himself the punishment of being skinned for a wine sack.[250] Another variation is that Apollo played his instrument upside down. Marsyas could not do this with his instrument. So the Muses who were the judges declared Apollo the winner. Apollo hung Marsyas from a tree to flay him.[251]
Apolloflayed the limbs of Marsyas alive in a cave nearCelaenae inPhrygia for hishubris to challenge a god. He then gave the rest of his body for proper burial[252] and nailed Marsyas' flayed skin to a nearby pine-tree as a lesson to the others. Marsyas' blood turned into the river Marsyas. But Apollo soon repented and being distressed at what he had done, he tore the strings of his lyre and threw it away. The lyre was later discovered by the Muses and Apollo's sonsLinus andOrpheus. The Muses fixed the middle string, Linus the string struck with the forefinger, and Orpheus the lowest string and the one next to it. They took it back to Apollo, but the god, who had decided to stay away from music for a while, laid away both the lyre and the pipes at Delphi and joinedCybele in her wanderings to as far asHyperborea.[249][253]
Contest with Cinyras
Cinyras was a ruler ofCyprus, who was a friend ofAgamemnon. Cinyras promised to assist Agamemnon in the Trojan war, but did not keep his promise. Agamemnon cursed Cinyras. He invoked Apollo and asked the god to avenge the broken promise. Apollo then had alyre-playing contest withCinyras, and defeated him. Either Cinyras committed suicide when he lost, or was killed by Apollo.[254][255]
Apollo functions as the patron and protector of sailors, one of the duties he shares withPoseidon. In the myths, he is seen helping heroes who pray to him for a safe journey.[citation needed]
When Apollo spotted a ship of Cretan sailors that were caught in a storm, he quickly assumed the shape of a dolphin and guided their ship safely to Delphi.[256]
When theArgonauts faced a terrible storm,Jason prayed to his patron, Apollo, to help them. Apollo used his bow and golden arrow to shed light upon an island, where the Argonauts soon took shelter. This island was renamed "Anaphe", which means "He revealed it".[257]
Apollo helped the Greek heroDiomedes, to escape from a great tempest during his journey homeward. As a token of gratitude, Diomedes built a temple in honor of Apollo under the epithet Epibaterius ("the embarker").[258]
During the Trojan War,Odysseus came to the Trojan camp to return Chriseis, the daughter of Apollo's priestChryses, and brought many offerings to Apollo. Pleased with this, Apollo sent gentle breezes that helped Odysseus return safely to the Greek camp.[259]
Arion was a poet who was kidnapped by some sailors for the rich prizes he possessed. Arion requested them to let him sing for the last time, to which the sailors consented. Arion began singing a song in praise of Apollo, seeking the god's help. Consequently, numerous dolphins surrounded the ship and when Arion jumped into the water, the dolphins carried him away safely.[citation needed]
Wars
Trojan War
Apollo played a pivotal role in the entire Trojan War. He sided with the Trojans, and sent a terrible plague to the Greek camp, which indirectly led to the conflict betweenAchilles andAgamemnon. He killed the Greek heroesPatroclus, Achilles, and numerous Greek soldiers. He also helped many Trojan heroes, the most important one beingHector. After the end of the war, Apollo and Poseidon together cleaned the remains of the city and the camps.[citation needed]
Paris (on the left) putting on his armour as Apollo (on the right) watches him. Attic red-figure kantharos, 425–420 BC
Telegony war
A war broke out between theBrygoi and the Thesprotians, who had the support ofOdysseus. The gods Athena andAres came to the battlefield and took sides. Athena helped the hero Odysseus while Ares fought alongside of the Brygoi. When Odysseus lost, Athena and Ares came into a direct duel. To stop the battling gods and the terror created by their battle, Apollo intervened and stopped the duel between them.[260][261]
Indian war
When Zeus suggested thatDionysus defeat the Indians in order to earn a place among the gods, Dionysus declared war against the Indians and travelled to India along with his army ofBacchantes andsatyrs. Among the warriors wasAristaeus, Apollo's son. Apollo armed his son with his own hands and gave him a bow and arrows and fitted a strong shield to his arm.[262] After Zeus urged Apollo to join the war, he went to the battlefield.[263] Seeing several of hisnymphs and Aristaeus drowning in a river, he took them to safety and healed them.[264] He taught Aristaeus more useful healing arts and sent him back to help the army of Dionysus.[citation needed]
Theban war
During the war between the sons ofOedipus, Apollo favoredAmphiaraus, a seer and one of the leaders in the war. Though saddened that the seer was fated to be doomed in the war, Apollo made Amphiaraus' last hours glorious by "lighting his shield and his helm with starry gleam". WhenHypseus tried to kill the hero with a spear, Apollo directed the spear towards the charioteer of Amphiaraus instead. Then Apollo himself replaced the charioteer and took the reins in his hands. He deflected many spears and arrows away from them. He also killed many of the enemy warriors likeMelaneus,Antiphus, Aetion, Polites andLampus. At last, when the moment of departure came, Apollo expressed his grief with tears in his eyes and bid farewell to Amphiaraus, who was soon engulfed by the Earth.[265]
Slaying of giants
Apollo killed the giants Python and Tityos, who had assaulted his mother Leto.[citation needed]
Gigantomachy
During thegigantomachy, Apollo andHeracles blinded the giantEphialtes by shooting him in his eyes, Apollo shooting his left and Heracles his right.[266] He also killedPorphyrion, the king of giants, using his bow and arrows.[267]
Aloadae
TheAloadae, namely Otis and Ephialtes, were twin giants who decided to wage war upon the gods. They attempted to storm Mt. Olympus by piling up mountains, and threatened to fill the sea with mountains and inundate dry land.[268] They even dared to seek the hand of Hera and Artemis in marriage. Angered by this, Apollo killed them by shooting them with arrows.[269] According to another tale, Apollo killed them by sending a deer between them; as they tried to kill it with their javelins, they accidentally stabbed each other and died.[270]
Phorbas
Phorbas was a savage giant king ofPhlegyas who was described as having swine-like features. He wished to plunder Delphi for its wealth. He seized the roads to Delphi and started harassing the pilgrims. He captured the old people and children and sent them to his army to hold them for ransom. And he challenged the young and sturdy men to a match of boxing, only to cut their heads off when they would get defeated by him. He hung the chopped-off heads to an oak tree. Finally, Apollo came to put an end to this cruelty. He entered a boxing contest with Phorbas and killed him with a single blow.[271]
In the firstOlympic games, Apollo defeatedAres and became the victor in wrestling. He outranHermes in the race and won first place.[272]
Apollo divides months into summer and winter.[273] He rides on the back of a swan to the land of theHyperboreans during the winter months, and the absence of warmth in winter is due to his departure. During his absence, Delphi was under the care ofDionysus, and no prophecies were given during winters.[citation needed]
Periphas
Periphas was an Attican king and a priest of Apollo. He was noble, just and rich. He did all his duties justly. Because of this people were very fond of him and started honouring him to the same extent as Zeus. At one point, they worshipped Periphas in place of Zeus and set up shrines and temples for him. This annoyed Zeus, who decided to annihilate the entire family of Periphas. But because he was a just king and a good devotee, Apollo intervened and requested his father to spare Periphas. Zeus considered Apollo's words and agreed to let him live. But he metamorphosed Periphas into an eagle and made the eagle the king of birds. When Periphas' wife requested Zeus to let her stay with her husband, Zeus turned her into a vulture and fulfilled her wish.[274]
Molpadia and Parthenos
Molpadia and Parthenos were the sisters ofRhoeo, a former lover of Apollo. One day, they were put in charge of watching their father's ancestral wine jar but they fell asleep while performing this duty. While they were asleep, the wine jar was broken by the swine their family kept. When the sisters woke up and saw what had happened, they threw themselves off a cliff in fear of their father's wrath. Apollo, who was passing by, caught them and carried them to two different cities in Chersonesus, Molpadia to Castabus and Parthenos to Bubastus. He turned them into goddesses and they both received divine honors. Molpadia's name was changed toHemithea upon her deification.[275]
Prometheus
Prometheus was the titan who was punished by Zeus for stealing fire. He was bound to a rock, where each day an eagle was sent to eat Prometheus' liver, which would then grow back overnight to be eaten again the next day. Seeing his plight, Apollo pleaded with Zeus to release the kind Titan, while Artemis and Leto stood behind him with tears in their eyes. Zeus, moved by Apollo's words and the tears of the goddesses, finally sent Heracles to free Prometheus.[276]
AfterHeracles (then named Alcides) was struck with madness and killed his family, he sought to purify himself and consulted the oracle of Apollo. Apollo, through the Pythia, commanded him to serve kingEurystheus for twelve years and complete the ten tasks the king would give him. Only then would Alcides be absolved of his sin. Apollo also renamed him Heracles.[277]
Heracles and Apollo struggling over the hind, as depicted on a Corinthian helmet (early 5th century BC)
To complete his third task, Heracles had to capture theCeryneian Hind, a hind sacred to Artemis, and bring back it alive. After chasing the hind for one year, the animal eventually got tired, and when it tried crossing the river Ladon, Heracles captured it. While he was taking it back, he was confronted by Apollo and Artemis, who were angered at Heracles for this act. However, Heracles soothed the goddess and explained his situation to her. After much pleading, Artemis permitted him to take the hind and told him to return it later.[278]
After he was freed from his servitude to Eurystheus, Heracles fell in conflict with Iphytus, a prince of Oechalia, and murdered him. Soon after, he contracted a terrible disease. He consulted the oracle of Apollo once again, in the hope of ridding himself of the disease. The Pythia, however, denied to give any prophesy. In anger, Heracles snatched the sacred tripod and started walking away, intending to start his own oracle. However, Apollo did not tolerate this and stopped Heracles; a duel ensued between them. Artemis rushed to support Apollo, while Athena supported Heracles. Soon, Zeus threw his thunderbolt between the fighting brothers and separated them. He reprimanded Heracles for this act of violation and asked Apollo to give a solution to Heracles. Apollo then ordered the hero to serve underOmphale, queen ofLydia for one year in order to purify himself.[citation needed]
After their reconciliation, Apollo and Heracles together founded the city of Gythion.[279]
Plato's concept of soulmates
A long time ago, there were three kinds of human beings: male, descended from the sun; female, descended from the earth; and androgynous, descended from the moon. Each human being was completely round, with four arms and four legs, two identical faces on opposite sides of a head with four ears, and all else to match. They were powerful and unruly.Otis andEphialtes even dared to scaleMount Olympus.[citation needed]
To check their insolence, Zeus devised a plan to humble them and improve their manners instead of completely destroying them. He cut them all in two and asked Apollo to make necessary repairs, giving humans the individual shape they still have now. Apollo turned their heads and necks around towards their wounds, he pulled together their skin at theabdomen, and sewed the skin together at the middle of it. This is what we callnavel today. He smoothened the wrinkles and shaped the chest. But he made sure to leave a few wrinkles on the abdomen and around the navel so that they might be reminded of their punishment.[280]
"As he [Zeus] cut them one after another, he bade Apollo give the face and the half of the neck a turn... Apollo was also bidden to heal their wounds and compose their forms. So Apollo gave a turn to the face and pulled the skin from the sides all over that which in our language is called the belly, like the purses which draw in, and he made one mouth at the centre [of the belly] which he fastened in a knot (the same which is called the navel); he also moulded the breast and took out most of the wrinkles, much as a shoemaker might smooth leather upon a last; he left a few wrinkles, however, in the region of the belly and navel, as a memorial of the primeval state.
The rock of Leukas
Leukatas was believed to be a white-colored rock jutting out from the island ofLeukas into the sea. It was present in the sanctuary of Apollo Leukates. A leap from this rock was believed to have put an end to the longings of love.[281]
Once, Aphrodite fell deeply in love withAdonis, a young man of great beauty who was later accidentally killed by a boar. Heartbroken, Aphrodite wandered looking for the rock of Leukas. When she reached the sanctuary of Apollo in Argos, she confided in him her love and sorrow. Apollo then brought her to the rock of Leukas and asked her to throw herself from the top of the rock. She did so and was freed from her love. When she sought the reason behind this, Apollo told her that Zeus, before taking another lover, would sit on this rock to free himself from his love for Hera.[211]
Another tale relates that a man named Nireus, who fell in love with the cult statue of Athena, came to the rock and jumped in order to relieve himself. After jumping, he fell into the net of a fisherman in which, when he was pulled out, he found a box filled with gold. He fought with the fisherman and took the gold, but Apollo appeared to him in the night in a dream and warned him not to appropriate gold which belonged to others.[211]
It was an ancestral custom among the Leukadians to fling a criminal from this rock every year at the sacrifice performed in honor of Apollo for the sake of averting evil. However, a number of men would be stationed all around below rock to catch the criminal and take him out of the borders in order to exile him from the island.[282][211] This was the same rock from which, according to a legend, Sappho took her suicidal leap.[281]
OnceHera, out of spite, aroused the Titans to war againstZeus and take away his throne. Accordingly, when the Titans tried to climbMount Olympus, Zeus with the help of Apollo,Artemis andAthena, defeated them and cast them into Tartarus.[283]
In the Great Eoiae that is attributed toHesiod, Scylla is the daughter of Apollo and Hecate.[286]
Cyrene was a Thessalian princess whom Apollo loved. In her honor, he built the city Cyrene and made her its ruler. She was later granted longevity by Apollo who turned her into a nymph. The couple had two sons,Aristaeus, andIdmon.[citation needed]
Evadne was a nymph daughter of Poseidon and a lover of Apollo. They had a son,Iamos. During the time of the childbirth, Apollo sentEileithyia, the goddess of childbirth to assist her.
Rhoeo, a princess of the island of Naxos was loved by Apollo. Out of affection for her, Apollo turned her sisters into goddesses. On the island Delos she bore Apollo a son namedAnius. Not wanting to have the child, she entrusted the infant to Apollo and left. Apollo raised and educated the child on his own.[citation needed]
Ourea, a daughter ofPoseidon, fell in love with Apollo when he and Poseidon were serving the Trojan kingLaomedon. They both united on the day the walls ofTroy were built. She bore to Apollo a son, whom Apollo named Ileus, after the city of his birth, Ilion (Troy). Ileus was very dear to Apollo.[287]
Thero, daughter ofPhylas, a maiden as beautiful as the moonbeams, was loved by the radiant Apollo, and she loved him in return. Through their union, she became the mother of Chaeron, who was famed as "the tamer of horses". He later built the cityChaeronea.[288]
Hyrie or Thyrie was the mother ofCycnus. Apollo turned both the mother and son into swans when they jumped into a lake and tried to kill themselves.[289]
Hecuba was the wife of KingPriam ofTroy, and Apollo had a son with her namedTroilus. Anoracle prophesied that Troy would not be defeated as long as Troilus reached the age of twenty alive. He was ambushed and killed byAchilleus, and Apollo avenged his death by killing Achilles. After the sack of Troy, Hecuba was taken to Lycia by Apollo.[290]
Coronis was daughter ofPhlegyas, King of theLapiths. While pregnant withAsclepius, Coronis fell in love withIschys, son ofElatus and slept with him. When Apollo found out about her infidelity through his prophetic powers or thanks to hisraven who informed him, he sent his sister, Artemis, to kill Coronis. Apollo rescued the baby by cutting open Coronis' belly and gave it to thecentaurChiron to raise.[citation needed]
Dryope, the daughter of Dryops, was impregnated by Apollo in the form of a snake. She gave birth to a son named Amphissus.[291]
InEuripides' playIon, Apollo fatheredIon byCreusa, wife ofXuthus. He used his powers to conceal her pregnancy from her father. Later, when Creusa left Ion to die in the wild, Apollo askedHermes to save the child and bring him to the oracle atDelphi, where he was raised by a priestess.[citation needed]
Apollo loved and kidnapped an Oceanid nymph,Melia. Her fatherOceanus sent one of his sons,Caanthus, to find her, but Caanthus could not take her back from Apollo, so he burned Apollo's sanctuary. In retaliation, Apollo shot and killed Caanthus.[292]
Hyacinth (or Hyacinthus), a beautiful and athleticSpartan prince, was one of Apollo's favourite lovers.[293] The pair was practicing throwing thediscus when a discus thrown by Apollo was blown off course by the jealousZephyrus and struck Hyacinthus in the head, killing him instantly. Apollo is said to be filled with grief. Out of Hyacinthus' blood, Apollo created aflower named after him as a memorial to his death, and his tears stained the flower petals with the interjectionαἰαῖ, meaningalas.[294] He was later resurrected and taken to heaven. The festivalHyacinthia was a national celebration of Sparta, which commemorated the death and rebirth of Hyacinthus.[295]
Another male lover wasCyparissus, a descendant ofHeracles. Apollo gave him a tame deer as a companion but Cyparissus accidentally killed it with ajavelin as it lay asleep in the undergrowth. Cyparissus was so saddened by its death that he asked Apollo to let his tears fall forever. Apollo granted the request by turning him into theCypress named after him, which was said to be a sad tree because the sap forms droplets like tears on the trunk.[296]
Admetus, the king of Pherae, was also Apollo's lover.[297][298] During his exile, which lasted either for one year or nine years,[299] Apollo served Admetus as a herdsman. The romantic nature of their relationship was first described byCallimachus of Alexandria, who wrote that Apollo was "fired with love" for Admetus.[160] Plutarch lists Admetus as one of Apollo's lovers and says that Apollo served Admetus because he doted upon him.[300] Latin poetOvid in hisArs Amatoria said that even though he was a god, Apollo forsook his pride and stayed in as a servant for the sake of Admetus.[301]Tibullus describes Apollo's love to the king asservitium amoris (slavery of love) and asserts that Apollo became his servant not by force but by choice. He would also make cheese and serve it to Admetus. His domestic actions caused embarrassment to his family.[302]
Oh how often his sister (Diana) blushed at meeting her brother as he carried a young calf through the fields!....often Latona lamented when she saw her son's disheveled locks which were admired even by Juno, his step-mother...[303]
When Admetus wanted to marry princessAlcestis, Apollo provided a chariot pulled by a lion and a boar he had tamed. This satisfied Alcestis' father and he let Admetus marry his daughter. Further, Apollo saved the king from Artemis' wrath and also convinced theMoirai to postpone Admetus' death once.[citation needed]
Branchus, a shepherd, one day came across Apollo in the woods. Captivated by the god's beauty, he kissed Apollo. Apollo requited his affections and wanting to reward him, bestowed prophetic skills on him. His descendants, the Branchides, were an influential clan of prophets.[304]
Other male lovers of Apollo include:
Adonis, who is said to have been the lover of both Apollo and Aphrodite. He behaved as a man with Aphrodite and as a woman with Apollo.[305]
Apollo sired many children, from mortal women and nymphs as well as the goddesses. His children grew up to be physicians, musicians, poets, seers or archers. Many of his sons founded new cities and became kings.
Apollo entrustingChiron with the education of Aescalapius
Asclepius is the most famous son of Apollo. His skills as a physician surpassed that of Apollo's. Zeus killed him for bringing back the dead, but upon Apollo's request, he was resurrected as a god.Aristaeus was placed under the care of Chiron after his birth. He became the god of beekeeping, cheese-making, animal husbandry and more. He was ultimately given immortality for the benefits he bestowed upon humanity. TheCorybantes were spear-clashing, dancing demigods.
The sons of Apollo who participated in the Trojan War include the Trojan princesHector andTroilus, as well asTenes, the king ofTenedos, all three of whom were killed by Achilles over the course of the war.
Apollo's children who became musicians and bards includeOrpheus,Linus,Ialemus,Hymenaeus,Philammon,Eumolpus andEleuther. Apollo fathered 3 daughters,Apollonis,Borysthenis andCephisso, who formed a group of minor Muses, the "Musa Apollonides".[313] Plutarch recounts that the Delphians believed the three Muses to be Nete, Mese, and Hypate, after the highest, middle, and lowest strings of the lyre.[314]Phemonoe was a seer and poet who was the inventor of Hexameter.
He also had a son by Agathippe who was named Chrysorrhoas who was a mechanic artist.[315] His other daughters includeEurynome,Chariclo wife ofChiron,Eurydice the wife of Orpheus,Eriopis, famous for her beautiful hair,Melite the heroine,Pamphile the silk weaver, Parthenos, and by some accounts, Phoebe, Hilyra andScylla. Apollo turned Parthenos into a constellation after her early death.
Additionally, Apollo fostered and educatedChiron, the centaur who later became the greatest teacher and educated many demigods, including Apollo's sons. Apollo also fosteredCarnus, the son ofZeus andEuropa.
List of offspring and their mothers
The following is a list of Apollo's offspring, by various mothers. Beside each offspring, the earliest source to record the parentage is given, along with the century to which the source (in some cases approximately) dates.
Love affairs ascribed to Apollo are a late development in Greek mythology.[391] Their vivid anecdotal qualities have made some of them favorites of painters since the Renaissance, the result being that they stand out more prominently in the modern imagination.[citation needed]
Daphne was anymph who scorned Apollo's advances and ran away from him. When Apollo chased her in order to persuade her, she changed herself into a laurel tree. According to other versions, she cried for help during the chase, andGaia helped her by taking her in and placing a laurel tree in her place.[392] According to Roman poetOvid, the chase was brought about byCupid, who hit Apollo with a golden arrow of love and Daphne with a leaden arrow of hatred.[393] The myth explains the origin of thelaurel and the connection of Apollo with the laurel and its leaves, which his priestess employed atDelphi. The leaves became the symbol of victory and laurel wreaths were given to the victors of thePythian games.[citation needed]
Marpessa was kidnapped byIdas but was loved by Apollo as well.Zeus made her choose between them, and she chose Idas on the grounds that Apollo, being immortal, would tire of her when she grew old.[394]
Sinope, a nymph, was approached by the amorous Apollo. She made him promise that he would grant to her whatever she would ask for, and then cleverly asked him to let her stay a virgin. Apollo kept his promise and went back.[citation needed]
Bolina was admired by Apollo but she refused him and jumped into the sea. To avoid her death, Apollo turned her into a nymph, saving her life.[citation needed]
Castalia was anymph whom Apollo loved. She fled from him and dove into thespring at Delphi, at the base ofMt. Parnassos, which was then named after her. Water from this spring was sacred; it was used to clean the Delphian temples and inspire the priestesses.[395]
Cassandra was a daughter of Hecuba and Priam. Apollo wished to court her. Cassandra promised to return his love on one condition – he should give her the power to see the future. Apollo fulfilled her wish, but she went back on her word and rejected him soon after. Angered that she broke her promise, Apollo cursed her that even though she would see the future, no one would ever believe her prophecies.[citation needed]
TheSibyl of Cumae like Cassandra promised Apollo her love in exchange for a boon. asking for as many years of life as the grains of sand in her hand. Apollo granted her wish, but she broke her word. While she lived longer, Apollo did not grant her agelessness, causing her to wither until only her voice remained.[396]
Hestia, the goddess of the hearth, rejected both Apollo's and Poseidon's marriage proposals and swore that she would always stay unmarried.[citation needed]
In one version of the prophetTiresias's origins, he was originally a woman who promised Apollo to sleep with him if he would give her music lessons. Apollo gave her her wish, but then she went back on her word and refused him. Apollo in anger turned her into a man.[397]
Artemis as the sister of Apollo, isthea apollousa, that is, she as a female divinity represented the same idea that Apollo did as a male divinity. In the pre-Hellenic period, their relationship was described as the one between husband and wife, and there seems to have been a tradition which actually described Artemis as the wife of Apollo.[citation needed] However, this relationship was never sexual but spiritual,[398] which is why they both are seen being unmarried in theHellenic period.[citation needed]
Artemis, like her brother, is armed with a bow and arrows. She is the cause of sudden deaths of women. She also is the protector of the young, especially girls. Though she has nothing to do with oracles, music or poetry, she sometimes led the female chorus on Olympus while Apollo sang.[399] The laurel (daphne) was sacred to both.Artemis Daphnaia had her temple among the Lacedemonians, at a place called Hypsoi.[400]Apollo Daphnephoros had a temple inEretria, a "place where the citizens are to take the oaths".[401] In later times when Apollo was regarded as identical with the sun orHelios, Artemis was naturally regarded asSelene or the moon.[citation needed]
Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft and magic, is the chthonic counterpart of Apollo. They both are cousins, since their mothers – Leto and Asteria – are sisters. One of Apollo's epithets,Hecatos, is the masculine form of Hecate, and both names mean "working from afar". While Apollo presided over the prophetic powers and magic of light and heaven, Hecate presided over the prophetic powers and magic of night and chthonian darkness.[citation needed] If Hecate is the "gate-keeper", ApolloAgyieus is the "door-keeper". Hecate is the goddess of crossroads and Apollo is the god and protector of streets.[402]
The oldest evidence found for Hecate's worship is at Apollo's temple in Miletos. There, Hecate was taken to be Apollo's sister counterpart in the absence of Artemis.[402] Hecate's lunar nature makes her the goddess of the waning moon and contrasts and complements, at the same time, Apollo's solar nature.[citation needed]
Athena
As a deity of knowledge and great power, Apollo was seen being the male counterpart ofAthena. Being Zeus' favorite children, they were given more powers and duties. Apollo and Athena often took up the role of protectors of cities, and were patrons of some of the important cities. Athena was the principal goddess ofAthens, Apollo was the principal god ofSparta.[403]
As patrons of arts, Apollo and Athena were companions of theMuses, the former a much more frequent companion than the latter.[404] Apollo was sometimes called the son of Athena and Hephaestus.[405]
In the Trojan War, as Zeus' executive, Apollo is seen holding theaegis like Athena usually does.[406] Apollo's decisions were usually approved by his sister Athena, and they both worked to establish the law and order set forth by Zeus.[407]
InAeschylus'Oresteia trilogy,Clytemnestra kills her husband, KingAgamemnon because he had sacrificed their daughterIphigenia to proceed forward with the Trojan war. Apollo gives an order through the Oracle at Delphi that Agamemnon's son,Orestes, is to kill Clytemnestra andAegisthus, her lover. Orestes and Pylades carry out the revenge, and consequently Orestes is pursued by theErinyes or Furies (female personifications ofvengeance).[citation needed]
Apollo and the Furies argue about whether thematricide was justified; Apollo holds that the bond of marriage is sacred and Orestes was avenging his father, whereas the Erinyes say that the bond of blood between mother and son is more meaningful than the bond of marriage. They invade his temple, and he drives them away. He says that the matter should be brought before Athena. Apollo promises to protect Orestes, as Orestes has become Apollo'ssupplicant. Apollo advocates Orestes at the trial, and ultimately Athena rules in favor of Apollo.[citation needed]
Roman Apollo
The Roman worship of Apollo was adopted from the Greeks.[408] As a quintessentiallyGreek god, Apollo had no direct Roman equivalent, although later Roman poets often referred to him asPhoebus.[citation needed] There was a tradition that the Delphic oracle was consulted as early as the period of thekings of Rome during the reign ofTarquinius Superbus.[409]
On the occasion of a pestilence in the 430s BCE, Apollo'sfirst temple at Rome was established in the Flaminian fields, replacing an older cult site there known as the "Apollinare".[410] During theSecond Punic War in 212 BCE, theLudi Apollinares ("Apollonian Games") were instituted in his honor, on the instructions of a prophecy attributed to one Marcius.[411] In the time ofAugustus, who considered himself under the special protection of Apollo and was even said to be his son, his worship developed and he became one of the chief gods of Rome.[412][408]
After theBattle of Actium, which was fought near a sanctuary of Apollo, Augustus enlarged Apollo's temple, dedicated a portion of the spoils to him, and institutedquinquennial games in his honour.[413] He also erecteda new temple to the god on thePalatine hill.[414] Sacrifices and prayers on the Palatine to Apollo andDiana formed the culmination of theSecular Games, held in 17 BCE to celebrate the dawn of a new era.[415]
Apollo's most common attributes were the bow andarrow. Other attributes of his included thekithara (an advanced version of the commonlyre), theplectrum and the sword. Another common emblem was thesacrificial tripod, representing his prophetic powers. ThePythian Games were held in Apollo's honor every four years atDelphi. Thebay laurel plant was used in expiatory sacrifices and in making thecrown of victory at these games.[408]
Gold stater of theSeleucid kingAntiochus I Soter (reigned 281–261 BCE), showing on the reverse a nude Apollo holding his key attributes: two arrows and a bow
Thepalm tree was also sacred to Apollo because he had been born under one inDelos. Animals sacred to Apollo includedwolves, dolphins,roe deer,swans,cicadas (symbolizing music and song),ravens,hawks,crows (Apollo had hawks and crows as his messengers),[417] snakes (referencing Apollo's function as the god of prophecy), mice andgriffins, mythical eagle–lion hybrids of Eastern origin.[408]
Homer andPorphyry wrote that Apollo had a hawk as his messenger.[418][417] In many myths Apollo is transformed into a hawk.[419][420][421] In addition,Claudius Aelianus wrote that inAncient Egypt people believed that hawks were sacred to the god[422] and that according to the ministers of Apollo in Egypt there were certain men called "hawk-keepers" (ἱερακοβοσκοί) who fed and tended the hawks belonging to the god.[423]Eusebius wrote that the second appearance of the moon is held sacred in the city of Apollo in Egypt and that the city's symbol is a man with a hawklike face (Horus).[424]Claudius Aelianus wrote that Egyptians called ApolloHorus in their own language.[422]
As god of colonization,[425] Apollo gave oracular guidance on colonies, especially during the height of colonization, 750–550 BCE. According to Greek tradition, he helpedCretan orArcadian colonists found the city ofTroy. However, this story may reflect a cultural influence which had the reverse direction:Hittitecuneiform texts mention an Asia Minor god calledAppaliunas orApalunas in connection with the city ofWilusa attested in Hittite inscriptions, which is now generally regarded as being identical with the GreekIlion by most scholars. In this interpretation, Apollo's title ofLykegenes can simply be read as "born in Lycia", which effectively severs the god's supposed link with wolves (possibly afolk etymology).[426]
In literary contexts, Apollo represents harmony, order, and reason—characteristics contrasted with those ofDionysus, god of wine, who represents ecstasy and disorder. The contrast between the roles of these gods is reflected in the adjectivesApollonian and Dionysian. However, the Greeks thought of the two qualities as complementary: the two gods are brothers, and when Apollo at winter left forHyperborea, he would leave the Delphic oracle to Dionysus. This contrast appears to be shown on the two sides of theBorghese Vase.[citation needed]
In antiquity, Apollo was associated with the planet Mercury. The ancient Greeks believed that the Mercury as observed during the morning was different from the one during the evening, because each twilight Mercury would appear farther from the Sun as it set than it had the night before. The morning planet was called Apollo, and the one at evening Hermes/Mercury before they realised they were the same, thereupon the name 'Mercury/Hermes' was kept, and 'Apollo' was dropped.[1]
Apollo in the arts
Apollo is a common theme in Greek and Roman art and also in the art of theRenaissance. The earliest Greek word for a statue is "delight" (ἄγαλμα,agalma), and the sculptors tried to create forms which would inspire such guiding vision.Maurice Bowra notices that the Greek artist puts into a god the highest degree of power and beauty that can be imagined. The sculptors derived this from observations on human beings, but they also embodied in concrete form, issues beyond the reach of ordinary thought.[427]
The naked bodies of the statues are associated with the cult of the body which was essentially a religious activity.[428] The muscular frames and limbs combined with slim waists indicate the Greek desire for health, and the physical capacity which was necessary in the hard Greek environment.[429] The statues of Apollo and the other gods present them in their full youth and strength. "In the balance and relation of their limbs, such figures express their whole character, mental and physical, and reveal their central being, the radiant reality of youth in its heyday".[430]
Archaic sculpture
Numerous statues of male youths fromArchaic Greece exist, and were once thought to be representations of Apollo, though later discoveries indicated that many represented mortals.[431] In 1895, V. I. Leonardos proposed the termkouros ("male youth") to refer to those fromKeratea; this usage was later expanded by Henri Lechat in 1904 to cover all statues of this format.[432][433]
The earliest examples of life-sized statues of Apollo may be two figures from theIonic sanctuary on the island ofDelos. Such statues were found across the Greek-speaking world, the preponderance of these were found at the sanctuaries of Apollo with more than one hundred from the sanctuary ofApollo Ptoios,Boeotia alone.[434] Significantly more rare are the life-sized bronze statues. One of the few originals which survived into the present day—so rare that its discovery in 1959 was described as "a miracle" by Ernst Homann-Wedeking—is the masterpiece bronze,Piraeus Apollo. It was found inPiraeus, aport city close to Athens, and is believed to have come from north-easternPeloponnesus. It is the only surviving large-scale Peloponnesian statue.[435]
The famousApollo of Mantua and its variants are early forms of theApollo Citharoedus statue type, in which the god holds thecithara, a sophisticated seven-stringed variant of the lyre, in his left arm. While none of the Greek originals have survived, several Roman copies from approximately the late 1st or early 2nd century exist, of which an example is theApollo Barberini.[citation needed]
Hellenistic Greece-Rome
Apollo as a handsome beardless young man, is often depicted with a cithara (as Apollo Citharoedus) or bow in his hand, or reclining on a tree (theApollo Lykeios andApollo Sauroctonos types). TheApollo Belvedere is amarble sculpture that was rediscovered in the late 15th century; for centuries it epitomized the ideals ofClassical Antiquity for Europeans, from theRenaissance through the 19th century. The marble is aHellenistic or Roman copy of a bronze original by the Greek sculptorLeochares, made between 330 and 320 BCE.[436]
Another haloed Apollo in mosaic, fromHadrumentum, is in the museum atSousse.[437] The conventions of this representation, head tilted, lips slightly parted, large-eyed, curlinghair cut in locks grazing the neck, were developed in the 3rd century BCE to depictAlexander the Great.[438] Some time after this mosaic was executed, the earliest depictions of Christ would also be beardless and haloed.[citation needed]
Modern reception
Apollo often appears inmodern andpopular culture due to his status as the god of music, dance and poetry.
Apollo has been portrayed in modern literature, such as whenCharles Handy inGods of Management (1978) uses Greek gods as a metaphor to portray various types oforganizational culture. Apollo represents a "role" culture where order, reason, andbureaucracy prevail.[440]
In the philosophical discussion of the arts, a distinction is sometimes made between theApollonian and Dionysian impulses, where the former is concerned with imposing intellectual order and the latter with chaotic creativity.Friedrich Nietzsche argued that a fusion of the two was most desirable.[441] PsychologistCarl Jung'sApollo archetype represents what he saw as the disposition in people to over-intellectualise and maintain emotional distance.[442]
^Mousike (the art of the Muses) was an integral part of life in the ancient Greek world, and the term covered not only music but also dance, lyrics, theatre and the performance of poetry.
^Krauskopf, I. 2006. "The Grave and Beyond."The Religion of the Etruscans. edited by N. de Grummond and E. Simon. Austin: University of Texas Press. p. vii, p. 73-75.
^For the iconography of the Alexander–Helios type, see H. Hoffmann, 1963. "Helios", inJournal of the American Research Center in Egypt2, pp. 117–23; cf. Yalouris 1980, no. 42.
^Joseph Fontenrose, "Apollo and Sol in the Latin poets of the first century BC",Transactions of the American Philological Association30 (1939), pp 439–55; "Apollo and the Sun-God in Ovid",American Journal of Philology61 (1940) pp 429–44; and "Apollo and Sol in the Oaths of Aeneas and Latinus"Classical Philology38.2 (April 1943), pp. 137–138.
^R. S. P. Beekes,Etymological Dictionary of Greek, Brill, 2009, p. 118.
^"The young men became grown-upkouroi, and Apollon was themegistos kouros (The Great Kouros) : Jane Ellen Harrison (2010):Themis: A study to the Social origins of Greek Religion Cambridge University Press. pp. 439–441,ISBN1108009492
^abThe word usually appears in plural:Hesychius:ἀπέλλαι (apellai),σηκοί ("folds"),ἐκκλησίαι ("assemblies"),ἀρχαιρεσίαι ("elections"): Nilsson, Vol. I, p. 556
^Doric Greek verb:ἀπέλλάζειν ("to assemble"), and the festivalἀπέλλαιapellai), which surely belonged to Apollo. Nilsson, Vol I, p. 556.
^The reading ofApaliunas and the possible identification with Apollo is due toEmil Forrer (1931). It was doubted byKretschmer,Glotta XXIV, p. 250. Martin Nilsson (1967), Vol I, p. 559
^Angel, John L.; Mellink, Machteld Johanna (1986).Troy and the Trojan War: A Symposium Held at Bryn Mawr College, October 1984. Bryn Mawr Commentaries. p. 42.ISBN978-0-929524-59-7.
^Le Roux, F. (1959). "Notes d'histoire des religions: 8. Introduction à une étude de l'Apollon gaulois".Ogam (in French).11: 216-226.
^Miranda J. Green,Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1997
^Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum XIII, 1863–1986; A. Ross,Pagan Celtic Britain, 1967; M.J. Green,The Gods of the Celts, 1986, London
^J. Zwicker,Fontes Historiae Religionis Celticae, 1934–36, Berlin;Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum V, XI, XII, XIII; J. Gourcest, "Le culte de Belenos en Provence occidentale et en Gaule",Ogam6.6 (1954:257–262); E. Thevonot, "Le cheval sacre dans la Gaule de l'Est",Revue archeologique de l'Est et du Centre-Est (vol 2), 1951; [], "Temoignages du culte de l'Apollon gaulois dans l'Helvetie romaine", Revue celtique (vol 51), 1934.
^W.J. Wedlake,The Excavation of the Shrine of Apollo at Nettleton, Wiltshire, 1956–1971, Society of Antiquaries of London, 1982.
^M. Szabo,The Celtic Heritage in Hungary (Budapest 1971)
^abDivinites et sanctuaires de la Gaule, E. Thevonat, 1968, Paris
^abLa religion des Celtes, J. de Vries, 1963, Paris
^J. Le Gall,Alesia, archeologie et histoire (Paris 1963).
^Paieon (Παιήων) puts pain-relieving medicines on the wounds of Pluton and Ares (Ilias E401). This art is related with Egypt: (Odyssey D232): M. Nilsson Vol I, p. 543
^Ἐπὶ καταπαύσει λοιμῶν καὶ νόσων ᾄδόμενος.Which is sung to stop the plagues and the diseases. Proklos: Chrestom from Photios Bibl. code. 239, p. 321: Martin Nilsson. Die Geschicthe der Griechischen religion. Vol I, p. 543
^Homer (1 June 2000).The Iliad. Translated by Butler, Samuel.
^"The conception that the diseases come from invisible shots sent by magicians or supernatural beings is common in primitive people and also in European folklore. In North-Europe they speak of the "Elf-shots". In Sweden where the Lapps were called magicians, they speak of the "Lappen-shots". Martin Nilsson (1967). Vol I, p. 541
^Ilias A 314. Martin Nilsson (1967). Vol I, p. 543
^Herbert W. Park (1956).The delphic oracle. Vol. I, p. 3
^Graf,Apollo, pp. 104–113; Burkert also notes in this contextArchilochusFr. 94.
^Rufus B. Richardson, "A Temple in Eretria"The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts,10.3 (July – September 1895:326–337)
^Peter Schneider:Neue Funde vom archaischen Apollontempel in Didyma. In: Ernst-Ludwig Schwandner (ed.):Säule und Gebälk. Zu Struktur und Wandlungsprozeß griechisch-römischer Architektur. Bauforschungskolloquium in Berlin vom 16.-18. Juni 1994. Diskussionen zur Archäologischen Bauforschung
^Brown, Norman O. (1947).Hermes the Thief: The Evolution of a Myth. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 93.ISBN0-940262-26-6.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
^G. Shipley, "The Extent of Spartan Territory in the Late Classical and Hellenistic Periods",The Annual of the British School at Athens, 2000.
^Rufus B. Richardson, "A Temple in Eretria"The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts,10.3 (July – September 1895:326–337); Paul Auberson,Eretria. Fouilles et Recherches I, Temple d'Apollon Daphnéphoros, Architecture (Bern, 1968). See alsoPlutarch,Pythian Oracle, 16.
^abCarol M. Mooney, B.A.,Hekate: Her Role And Character In Greek Literature From Before The Fifth Century B.C.
^According toHesiod,Theogony927–929, Hephaestus was produced by Hera alone, with no father, see Gantz, p. 74.
^According toHesiod'sTheogony886–890, of Zeus' children by his seven wives, Athena was the first to be conceived, but the last to be born; Zeus impregnated Metis then swallowed her, later Zeus himself gave birth to Athena "from his head", see Gantz, pp. 51–52, 83–84.
^According toHesiod,Theogony183–200, Aphrodite was born from Uranus' severed genitals, see Gantz, pp. 99–100.
Apollodorus,Apollodorus, The Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Homeric Hymn 3 to Apollo inThe Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Homer,The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, PhD in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Homer;The Odyssey with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, PH.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1919.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Livy,The History of Rome, Books I and II With An English Translation. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1919.
Statius,Thebaid. Translated by Mozley, J H. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928.
Pausanias,Pausanias Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Tzetzes, John,Chiliades, editor Gottlieb Kiessling, F.C.G. Vogel, 1826.Google Books. (English translation: Book I by Ana Untila; Books II–IV, by Gary Berkowitz; Books V–VI by Konstantino Ramiotis; Books VII–VIII by Vasiliki Dogani; Books IX–X by Jonathan Alexander; Books XII–XIII by Nikolaos Giallousis.Internet Archive).
Gantz, Timothy,Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, Two volumes:ISBN978-0-8018-5360-9 (Vol. 1),ISBN978-0-8018-5362-3 (Vol. 2).
Miranda J. Green, 1997.Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, Thames and Hudson.
Grimal, Pierre,The Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Wiley-Blackwell, 1996.ISBN978-0-631-20102-1.
Hard, Robin,The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology: Based on H.J. Rose's "Handbook of Greek Mythology", Psychology Press, 2004,ISBN9780415186360.Google Books.
Karl Kerenyi, 1953.Apollon: Studien über Antiken Religion und Humanität revised edition.
Kerényi, Karl 1951,The Gods of the Greeks, Thames and Hudson, London.
Mertens, Dieter; Schutzenberger, Margareta.Città e monumenti dei Greci d'Occidente: dalla colonizzazione alla crisi di fine V secolo a.C.. Roma L'Erma di Bretschneider, 2006.ISBN88-8265-367-6.
Martin Nilsson, 1955.Die Geschichte der Griechische Religion, vol. I. C.H. Beck.
Parada, Carlos,Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology, Jonsered, Paul Åströms Förlag, 1993.ISBN978-91-7081-062-6.
Pauly–Wissowa,Realencyclopädie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft: II, "Apollon". The best repertory of cult sites (Burkert).
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