Greek God Apollo: God of light, prophecy, music and arts, and poetry

Greek God Apollo.

Apollo (Ἀπόλλων, Apollō) is the god of inspiration, truth, light, healing, and poetry. Symbols include the Lyre, laurel wreath, python, and bow and arrows. He is the son of Zeus and Leto and twin brother of Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt. Apollo is the ideal picture of the kouros in ancient Greece: beardless and athletic appearance.

Birth and youth

Apollo is the son of Zeus and Lito, making Hera to jealous against Lito. She tried to band Leto from giving birth. One Greek Myth stats that Hera kidnapped Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, to prevent Leto from giving birth. Lito found a place called Delos, that was not yet nor island nor mainland. She gave the promise to the people living there that her son would be always favorable toward the city. Afterwards, Zeus secured Delos to the bottom of the ocean, that later became sacred to Apollo.

During his youth, Apollo killed the dragon Python, which lived in Delphi, beside the Castalian Spring, where the emitted vapors from the spring caused the oracle at Delphi to give her prophecies. Hera sent the Python serpent to hunt Leto to her death across the world. To protect his mother, Apollo begged Hephaestus for a bow and arrows. After receiving them, Apollo cornered Python in the sacred cave at Delphi. Apollo killed Python but had to be punished for it, since Python was a child of Gaia. Hera then sent the giant Tityos to rape Leto. This time Apollo was aided by his sister Artemis in protecting their mother. During the battle, Zeus finally relented his aid and hurled Tityos down to Tartarus.

Other Myths

Greek God Apollo holding his Lyre.

God Apollo was involved in other Greek Myths, including the Trojan War. During the Trojan War, Agamemnon captured the Chryseis, the daughter of the priest of Apollo Chryses. Apollo shot arrows infected with the plague into the Greek encampment in retribution. He demanded her return, and the Achaeans complied, causing the anger of Achilles. Later, when Diomedes injured Aeneas, Apollo rescued him and he helped Paris in the killing of Achilles by guiding the arrow of his bow into Achilles' heel.

Apollo's son Asclepius, the god of medicine, resurrected Hippolytus from the dead, making Zeus to struck down him with a lightning bolt for transgressing Themis by stealing Hades's subjects. Apollo in revenge killed the Cyclopes and he would have been banished to Tartarus forever for this but was instead sentenced to one year of hard labor. During this time he served as shepherd for King Admetus of Pherae in Thessaly. Admetus treated Apollo well, and, in return, the god conferred great benefits on Admetus.

Personal life

God Apollo had many love affairs, mostly females and fewer males. Famous lovers are the nymph Daphne a nymph - daughter of the river god Peneus, Leucothea - daughter of Orchamus and sister of Clytia, Marpessa the Aetolian princess and a granddaughter of Ares, Castalia another nymph, Cyrene - daughter of Hypseus King of the Lapiths, Hecuba - the wife of King Priam of Troy, Cassandra - daughter of Hecuba and Priam, Coronis - daughter of Phlegyas king of the Lapiths. Famous Children are Asclepius, Troilus, Aristaeus, and Orpheus. Asclepius is the god of medicine, Troilus is involved in Trojan War, Aristaeus is a Greek Hero, Orpheus the Thracian musician and poet.