Apollon or Apollo (Ancient Greek: Ἀπόλλων Apóllōn, Latin: Apolló) is the Greek God of plagues and healing, prophecy, knowledge, oracles, purity, art, music (he directed the choir of the Muses), poetry, archery (but not for war or hunting) and lastly the Sun after the Romans colonized Greece and syncretized him with Helios and Sol, and also the protector of herds and flocks. He is the patron deity of Delphi where his famed Oracle resided.
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.
Origin
Dorian Origin
The Homeric Hymn to Apollo depicts Apollo as an intruder from the north. The connection with the northern-dwelling Dorians and their initiation festival apellai is reinforced by the month Apellaios in northwest Greek calendars. The family-festival was dedicated to Apollo (Doric: Ἀπέλλων). Apellaios is the month of these rites, and Apellon is the "megistos kouros" (the great Kouros). However it can explain only the Doric type of the name, which is connected with the Ancient Macedonian word "pella" (Pella), stone. Stones played an important part in the cult of the god, especially in the oracular shrine of Delphi (Omphalos).
Minoan origin
George Huxley considered the identification of Apollo with the Minoan deity Paiawon, worshipped in Crete, to have originated at Delphi. In the Homeric Hymn, Apollo appears as a dolphin carrying Cretan priests to Delphi, to which site they evidently transfer their religious practices. Apollo Delphinios or Delphidios was a sea-god worshipped especially in Crete and in the islands. Apollo's sister Artemis, who was the Greek goddess of hunting, is identified with the Minoan goddess Britomartis (Diktynna), and with Laphria 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. A family of priests at Delphi was named "Lab(r)yaden". The name may derive from Laphria.
Anatolian origin
A non-Greek origin of Apollo has long been assumed in scholarship. The name of Apollo's mother Leto has Lydian origin, and she was worshipped on the coasts of Asia Minor. The inspiration oracular cult was probably introduced into Greece from Anatolia, which is the origin of Sibyl, and where some of the oldest oracular shrines originated. Omens, symbols, purifications, and exorcisms appear in old Assyro-Babylonian texts. These rituals were spread into the empire of the Hittites, and from there into Greece.
Homer pictures Apollo on the side of the Trojans, fighting against the Achaeans, during the Trojan War. He is pictured as a terrible god, less trusted by the Greeks than other gods. The god seems to be related to Apaliunas, a tutelary god of Wilusa (Troy) in Asia Minor, but the word is not complete. The stones found in front of the gates of Homeric Troy were the symbols of Apollo. A western Anatolian origin may also be bolstered by references to the parallel worship of Artimus (Artemis) and Qλdãns, whose name may be cognate with the Hittite and Doric forms, in surviving Lydian texts. However, recent scholars have cast doubt on the identification of Qλdãns with Apollo.
The Greeks gave to him the name ἀγυιεύς agyieus as the protector god of public places and houses who wards off evil and his symbol was a tapered stone or column. However, while usually Greek festivals were celebrated at the full moon, all the feasts of Apollo were celebrated on the seventh day of the month, and the emphasis given to that day (sibutu) indicates a Babylonian origin.
Proto-Indo-European Origin
The Vedic Rudra has some functions similar to those of Apollo. The terrible god is called "the archer" and the bow is also an attribute of Shiva. 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. However the Indo-European component of Apollo does not explain his strong association with omens, exorcisms, and an oracular cult.
Mythology
Birth
Apollo was born on the floating island of Delos,[1] along with his twin sister, the goddess Artemis. Immediately after his birth he demanded a musical instrument and hence became the god of music.
The Oracle of Delphi
Apollo's oracle at Delphi plays an important role in Greek myth.[2] To win the oracle, he had to kill the dragon Python, a serpentine son of Gaia. Delphi became the most famous and important oracle in Greece.
Python
Python was a serpentine creature created by Gaia to protect the Oracle of Delphi. When Apollo went in search of Oracles he came across Python at Delphi. Wanting the Oracle to himself, Apollo slayed the creature and claimed the site as his own. Gaia ended up demanding for Apollo's punishment, eternity is Tartarus, which Zeus would not allow. Instead, Apollo had to serve nine years as a slave on Earth.
The slaying of Tityus
Apollo's mother, the Titan Leto, was brutally assaulted by the giant Tityus while she was traveling to Delphi. In response to this insult and violation of his mother, Apollo went to the giant and with his golden sword and silver arrows he slayed him.
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.
Niobe
Niobe was the queen of Thebes and the wife of Amphion. She would go around bragging that she was so much better than Leto because she had fourteen children (seven males and seven females) while Leto only had two (Artemis and Apollo). Artemis and Apollo were deeply insulted on their mother's behalf. So, they went out to Thebes to get revenge while Niobe was away. Apollo used his arrows to slay the males, and Artemis used her arrows to slay the females. They left the dead there without a burial until Niobe arrived back to Thebes. Amphion was so distraught that he killed himself, while Niobe fled to Mount Sipylos in grief. There she wept and wept until she turned to stone, creating the river Achelous with her tears. The gods then buried Niobe's children out of respect.
Wrath of Zeus
Poseidon and Apollo conspired with a few of the other gods to tie Zeus up and relieve him of his crown. As punishment for this, Zeus sent Poseidon and Apollo down to earth as mortals to work under Laomedon of Troy. Here they help build the Trojan wall. In some versions, Laomedon refuses to let them go after their punishment has been fulfilled and the two gods send disaster to Troy as punishment.
Description
Apollo is described as a youthful man carrying a golden bow and a quiver full of silver arrows. He is considered to be one of the most beautiful gods in the Greek pantheon and the picture of an ideal, beardless youth. He is also sometimes seen wearing a wreath of laurel, his sacred plant.
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)
Family
Immortal Offspring
- Aristaios
- With Coronis:
- 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.
- Branchus - Branchus was a seer and initially a shepherd in Miletus. Sources seen to disagree whether he was the son of Apollo or his lover, though most sources seem to lean towards lover. There are two myths of Apollo and his lover Branchus. In the first, Branchus was wondering the forest when he came across a handsome man. So overcome by this man's beauty, Branchus went up to him and kissed him. Apollo returned these affections and later gifted the gift of prophecy to him. Later, Branchus would become a priest of Apollo and established the cult of Apollo in Didyma. In the second myth, Apollo happened to be passing by Branchus as he was tending his flock and wished to seduce him. He disguised himself as a goatherd and went to help Branchus. He volunteered to milk the goats but ended up milking a male goat in his distraction. It was this that caused him to give up his divine identity. After they became lovers, Apollo taught Branchus to be a prophet.
- According to recent additions apollo is married to Selene (the titaness of the moon) and Helios (the titan of the sun) because he married both of the brightest beings in the greek world he became the god of light and whenever the three of them share their love with one another it causes a solar eclipse in the mortal world
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.
Modern Depictions
In Television
- In the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?", Apollo, played by actor Michael Forest, was an inhabitant of the planet Pollux IV.
- In the TV series Battlestar Galactica, Apollo, played by the late actor Richard Hatch, was a Colonial warrior and the son of Commander Adama, who was played by the late actor Lorne Greene in the series.
- In the 2004 version of the series, Apollo was a callsign that was used by Lee Adama, who was played by actor Jamie Bamber in the series.
Gallery
See also
Citations
| Deities in Greek mythology | |
|---|---|
| Protogenoi | Chaos · Chronus · Gaia · Tartarus · Eros · Erebos · Nyx · Uranus · Pontus · Thalassa · Aether · Hemera |
| Titans | Oceanus · Cronus · Mnemosyne · Rhea · Tethys · Themis · Atlas · Prometheus · Metis · Hecate · Eos · Helios · Selene |
| Twelve Olympians | Zeus · Hera · Demeter · Hestia · Poseidon · Ares · Artemis · Apollo · Athena · Hermes · Hephaestus · Aphrodite · Dionysus |
| Daemones | Bia · Dike · Eris · Hebe · Hygieia · Hypnos · Nemesis · Nike · Phobos · Poena · Soteria · Thanatos |
| Gods and goddesses of Roman mythology | |
|---|---|
| Dii Consentes | Apollo • Diana • Ceres • Juno • Jupiter • Mars • Mercury • Minerva • Neptune • Venus • Vesta • Vulcan |
| Classical deities | Aesculapius • Aurora • Castor and Pollux • Cupid • Dis Pater/Pluto • Faunus • Fortuna • Hercules • Liber/Bacchus • Libera • Luna • Maia Maiestas • Moneta • Nox • Ops • Priapus • Proserpina • Salacia • Saturn |
| Titans | Oceanus • Themis • Tartarus • Pontus • Briareus • Gyges • Steropes • Atlas • Hyperion • Polus • Saturn • Ops • Moneta • Dione |
| Primagenera | Janus • Chaos • Caligo • Caelus • Terra • Mare • Nox • Dies • Erebus • Ether • Necessitas • Cura |
| Abstract deities | Abundantia • Aequitas • Aeternitas • Acca Larentia • Agenoria • Anna Perenna • Annona • Averruncus • Bellona • Bona Dea • Bonus Eventus • Carmentis • Cloacina • Concordia • Dea Dia • Dei Lucrii • Di Penates • Egeria • Fauna • Fatum • Feronia • Fides • Flora • Fontus • Fulgora • Furina • Genius • Lares • Laverna • Libertas •Lucifer • Orcus • Pax • Pietas • Pomona • Portunes • Quirinus • Roma • Salus • Sol/Sol Invictus • Securitas • Spes • Silvanus • Summanus • Tranquillitas • Veritas • Vertumnus • Vejovis • Victoria |
| Foreign deities | Osirus • Isis • Cybele • Attis • Mithras • Jupiter Dolichenus • Jupiter Optimus Maximus Heliopolitanus • Elagabalus • Dea Africa • Angerona |
| Groups | Dii Consentes • Di indigetes • Di inferi • Di Novensiles • Dei Lucrii • Archaic Triad • Capitoline Triad • Aventine Triad • Heliopolitan Triad • Agricultural Gods • Childhood gods |