Apollo

Apollo (Ancient Greek: Ἀπόλλων Apóllōn, Latin: Apolló) is the Greek God of the Sun, healing, medicine, prophecy, knowledge, oracles, purity, art, music (he directed the choir of the Muses), poetry, archery (but not for war or hunting) and plagues, and also the protector of herds and flocks.

He is the son of Zeus and Leto and the younger twin brother of Artemis. He was born on the island of Delos, which is sacred to him. His paternal grandparents were Cronus and Rhea. His maternal grandparents are Coeus and Phoebe (from whom he takes the epithet "Phoebus" meaning "radiant" or "beaming"). He was sometimes identified with the sun god Helios.

Birth
Apollo was born on the floating island of Delos, along with his twin sister, the goddess Artemis.

The Oracle and Python
Apollo's oracle at Delphi plays an important role in Greek myth. To win the oracle, he had to kill the dragon Python, a serpentine son of Gaia.

The slaying of Tityus
Apollo's mother, the goddess Leto was once assaulted by the giant Tityus while traveling to Delphi. In response, Apollo slayed Tityus with his golden sword and arrows from his silver bow.

Contest with Marsyas
The satyr Marsyas was the inventor of flute music (though not the inventor of the flute itself, which was created by Athena). In his hubris, Marsyas believed he could challenge Apollo himself, who was a god of music. Apollo took up Marsyas' challenge. When Marsyas ultimately lost, Apollo had him hung from a pine tree and flayed alive as punishment. In some versions of the myth, Apollo later regretted his excessive punishment. He plucked out the strings of his golden lyre, and refrained from playing music for a time in repentance.

Epithets
Like most of the major gods, Apollo was given epithets to reflect patronage in a certain area or field.


 * Apollo Thearios - Apollo of the Oracle
 * Apollo Proopsios - Apollo the Foreseeing
 * Apollo Hekebolos - Apollo, Shooter from Afar
 * Apollo Mousegetes - Apollo, Leader of the Muses
 * Apollo Paieon - Apollo the Healing
 * Apollo Alexikakos - Apollo, Averter of Evil
 * Apollo Smintheios - Apollo of the Mice
 * Apollo Lykios - Apollo of the Wolves
 * Apollo Parnopios - Apollo of the Locusts
 * Apollo Erythibios - Apollo of the Mildew
 * Apollo Pythios - Apollo of the Python
 * Apollo Latoios - Apollo, son of Leto
 * Apollo Phoebus - Apollo the Bright
 * Apollo Mantikos - Apollo the Prophetic
 * Apollo Iatromantis - Apollo the Physician
 * Apollo Argyrotoxos - Apollo with the Silver Bow
 * Apollo Nomios - Apollo the Pastoral

Alternate names

 * Phoebus ("light")
 * Smintheus ("plague bearer" or "rat apollo")
 * Delian (from the place of his birth, Delos)
 * Loxias ("tricky")
 * Pythian (from killing Python)

Immortal Offspring

 * Aristaios


 * With Coronis:


 * Asclepius (m. Epione):
 * Hygeia
 * Panacea
 * Iaso
 * Aigle
 * Machaon
 * Podaleiros


 * With Arsinoe:


 * Epione (m. Asclepius):
 * Hygeia
 * Panacea
 * Iaso
 * Aigle
 * Machaon
 * Podaleiros


 * With Calliope (the Muse):


 * Orpheus (mortal)
 * Linos (mortal)
 * The Apollonic Muses:
 * Cephiso
 * Apollonis
 * Borysthenis
 * Nete
 * Mese
 * Hypate


 * With Manto:


 * Mopsus (Mortal)

Lovers

 * Cassandra - Cassandra was the daughter of Priam of Troy and his wife, Hecuba. The myths say that she was the most beautiful of all the king's children. To win her heart, Apollo started to teach her the art of prophecy. But instead of becoming his lover, Cassandra refused him. Apollo cursed her by saying that when she made a prophecy, nobody would believe her.
 * Daphne - Daphne was the daughter of a river god. Before Apollo could get to her, he had to get rid of Leucippus (the son of king Oenomaus). Apollo had a fierce battle with him, and won. Now he could go to Daphne. But she refused. She tried running away, but Apollo was too swift. So Daphne, prayed to her father to turn her into a laurel tree. Her father swiftly did so. Apollo was heartbroken. So he made the laurel his sacred plant.
 * Marpessa - Marpessa, the daughter of the river god Evenus and the granddaughter of Ares, caught Apollo's eye. Although Apollo was deeply in love, Marpessa was already engaged to Idas (a son of Poseidon). This didn't stop Apollo. He simply carried Marpessa off away from Idas. Devoted to his love, Idas pursued the god and challenged him to a fight. The two came to blows and Zeus had to intervene. Separating Apollo and Idas, he called Marpessa to the scene of battle. Then, Zeus asked Marpessa who she wanted to marry. Marpessa chose Idas, because "he too was mortal" and she was afraid that Apollo would desert her.
 * Hyacinthus - Son of Clio (muse of history) and Pierus king of Sparta. Hyacinthus was admired by Apollo (God of the Sun), Zephyrus (God of the West Wind), and Thamyris (a Thracian singer) but chose Apollo over all of them. Apollo took him to sacred lands and taught him how to use a bow and how to play a lyre. One day Apollo was playing a game of discus with his lover, when Zephyrus saw them and grew jealous. Just as Apollo threw the discus Zephyrus used the wind to send it sailing directly at Hyacinthus' head. No matter what godly powers used, Apollo couldn't heal Hyacinthus since the Fates demanded that he die. As a memorial Apollo created the flower Hyacinth from the spilled blood of his lover.

In art
Apollo is at most times depicted as a handsome young man, clean shaven and carrying either a lyre, or his bow and arrows. There are many sculptures of Apollo and one of the most famous is the central figure from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus, at Olympia, showing Apollo declaring victory in favor of the Lapiths in their struggle against the Centaurs.

Gallery
Image gallery of Apollo