He was worshipped at Delphi and Delos . He was the victor in all those contests, but he tended to punish his opponents severely for their hubris. Apollo appears often in the myths, plays and hymns. Apollo, Olympia. Apollo - Greek god of archery, music, light, and prophecy. Loki Loki's brood; Hel, Fenrir and Jrmungandr. Apollo and the Furies argue about whether the matricide 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. 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. [195] Distinctions have been made that Hermes invented lyre made of tortoise shell, whereas the lyre Apollo invented was a regular lyre.[196]. When Periphas' wife requested Zeus to let her stay with her husband, Zeus turned her into a vulture and fulfilled her wish.[180]. The Vatican Mythographers. [25] It was very commonly used by both the Greeks and Romans for Apollo's role as the god of light. Protection of herds, flocks and crops from diseases, pests and predators were his primary duties. Like many of the Greek Gods, Apollo has many symbols. Marsyas could not do this. When Admetus angered the goddess Artemis by forgetting to give her the due offerings, Apollo came to the rescue and calmed his sister. The lyre is a common attribute of Apollo. As the patron deity of Delphi (Apollo Pythios), Apollo is an oracular godthe prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. In myths, the tears of amber Apollo shed when his son Asclepius died became the waters of the river Eridanos, which surrounded Hyperborea. [148] The swans, which were considered to be the most musical among the birds, were believed to be the "singers of Apollo". Apollo's wreath combines the laurel for Daphne, the coronal effect of the sun's rays, and the beauty and power of young, beardless, athletic men. The god seems to be related to Appaliunas, a tutelary god of Wilusa (Troy) in Asia Minor, but the word is not complete. [365] Significantly more rare are the life-sized bronze statues. APOLLO was the son of Zeus and twin brother of Artemis. Animals sacred to Apollo include roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, mice, and snakes. Ares Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. He would also make cheese and serve it to Admetus. For this reason, he was called Homopolon before the Homo was replaced by A. Artemis rushed to support Apollo, while Athena supported Heracles. But because he was a just king and a good devotee, Apollo intervened and requested his father to spare Periphas. Apollo is an important pastoral deity, and was the patron of herdsmen and shepherds. His twin sister is Artemis. Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Marsyas was a satyr who was punished by Apollo for his hubris. [185] According to Socrates, 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. [222], Phorbas was a savage giant king of Phlegyas who was described as having swine like features. By their union, she became mother of Chaeron, who was famed as "the tamer of horses". Apollo's most common attributes were the bow and arrow. 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. Apollo played a pivotal role in the entire Trojan War. [81] The stones found in front of the gates of Homeric Troy were the symbols of Apollo. The Hyperborean worship of Apollo bears the strongest marks of Apollo being worshipped as the sun god. Apollo spent the winter months among the Hyperboreans. The Pythia was Apollo's high priestess and his mouthpiece through whom he gave prophecies. She further mocked Apollo's effeminate appearance and Artemis' manly appearance. [208], Apollo helped the Greek hero Diomedes, to escape from a great tempest during his journey homeward. Asclepius in his childhood gained much knowledge pertaining to medicinal arts by his father. But he metamorphosed Periphas into an eagle and made the eagle the king of birds. Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History Book 4 (summary from Photius, Myriobiblon 190), Thus scholia on Paus. Apollo Delphinios or Delphidios was a sea-god especially worshipped in Crete and in the islands. Anius later became the priest of Apollo and the king of Delos. Only Midas dissented and questioned the justice of the award. Apollo is the god who affords help and wards off evil; various epithets call him the "averter of evil". There are many different schools of thought that tell Nyx's story, but all are always . Thus, the Greeks most often associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb (apollymi), "to destroy". Dolphins, ravens, swans and wolves were Apollos sacred animals. Patroclus was eventually killed by Hector. The Muses and Athena sniggered at this comment. Stones played an important part in the cult of the god, especially in the oracular shrine of Delphi (Omphalos). St. Michael: FEATURES OF THE SACRED CHURCHES OF MUNICH - See 554 traveler reviews, 571 candid photos, and great deals for Munich, Germany, at Tripadvisor. Zeus smiled, that the child so quickly came to ask for worship that pays in gold. V. 61-Paus. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Pepin, Ronald E. (2008). Apollo's capacity to make youths grow is one of the best attested facets of his panhellenic cult persona. They were nicknamed Nete, Mese and Hypate after the highest, middle and lowest strings of his lyre. Accordingly, Apollo killed Niobe's sons, and Artemis her daughters. [237], Hyrie or Thyrie was the mother of Cycnus. Admetus was the king of Pherae, who was known for his hospitality. "Die Geschicte der Giechischen Religion, Vol I." When the raven told Apollo of the affair, he became enraged that the bird had not pecked out Ischys' eyes, and the poor raven was an early example of the messenger being shot. Python, a chthonic serpent-dragon, was a child of Gaia and the guardian of the Delphic Oracle, whose death was foretold by Apollo when he was still in Leto's womb. In retaliation, Apollo shot and killed Caanthus. However, while Apollo has a great number of appellations in Greek myth, only a few occur in Latin literature. Gill, N.S. Protection of herds, flocks and crops from diseases, pests and predators were his primary duties. [173] Apollo guarded the cattle of Laomedon in the valleys of mount Ida, while Poseidon built the walls of Troy. Apollo had to serve as a slave for nine years. She has been featured by NPR and National Geographic for her ancient history expertise. The lyrewhich is perhaps his most well-known symbolsignifies that Apollo is the god of music. 23. 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 a hecatomb. He pushed the Greeks back and destroyed many of the soldiers. [162] After the servitude was over, as per his father's order, he travelled to the Vale of Tempe to bath in waters of Peneus. Arion began singing a song in praise of Apollo, seeking the god's help. Apollo helped many Trojan warriors, including Agenor, Polydamas, Glaucus in the battlefield. Apollo used his bow and golden arrow to shed light upon an island, where the Argonauts soon took shelter. Pindar's Paeans: A Reading of the Fragments with a Survey of the Genre, The Uses of Greek Mythology By Ken Dowden, Benjamin Acosta-Hughes, Luigi Lehnus, Susan Stephens -, Apollonius Rhodius. Apollo Kourotrophos is the god who nurtures and protects children and the young, especially boys. [168] After the battle Zeus finally relented his aid and hurled Tityos down to Tartarus. Long hair, which was the prerogative of boys, was cut at the coming of age (ephebeia) and dedicated to Apollo. Zeus killed him for bringing back the dead, but upon Apollo's request, he was resurrected as a god. The son of Zeus and Hera, he was depicted as a beardless youth, either nude with a helmet and spear or sword, or as an armed warrior. 9. Once all ravens were white birds or so goes the myth, but after delivering bad news to the god he scorched the wings of the raven so that all ravens going forward were black. [143][144] This island became sacred to Apollo and was one of the major cult centres of the god. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/apollo-god-symbols-117070. The Late Bronze Age (from 1700 to 1200 BCE) Hittite and Hurrian Aplu was a god of plague, invoked during plague years. 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. 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.[330]. Apollo's lyre has the power to turn itemslike stonesinto musical instruments. https://www.thoughtco.com/apollo-god-symbols-117070 (accessed March 4, 2023). To check their insolence, Zeus devised a plan to humble them and improve their manners instead of completely destroying them. [138] In most of the traditions, Apollo was still a child when he killed Python. During a duel with Achilles, when Hector was about to lose, Apollo hid Hector in a cloud of mist to save him. So the Muses who were the judges declared Apollo the winner. This Greek mythological figure is the godgoddess of battle strategy among other things. Together they had a son named Ileus, whom Apollo loved dearly.[176]. Apollo is an important pastoral deity, and was the patron of herdsmen and shepherds. C.F.Beck Verlag.Munchen. The statues of Apollo embody beauty, balance and inspire awe before the beauty of the world. There, he was pegged to the rock floor, covering an area of 9 acres (36,000m2), where a pair of vultures feasted daily on his liver. Apollo was the son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and Leto, his previous wife[135] or one of his mistresses. d. !Participating in cannibalism. Apollo promises to protect Orestes, as Orestes has become Apollo's supplicant. This may surprise you but Apollo, the God of Sun, Arts, Blessings, Love, Sports, and Magical Wisdom has picked Dolphin and his sacred animal. [379], Apollo has appeared in many modern video games. He later built the city Chaeronea. She was the daughter of Zeus, king of the gods, and the Titaness Leto and she has a twin brother, the god Apollo. [148] Plutarch lists Admetus as one of Apollo's lovers and says that Apollo served Admetus because he doted upon him. Zeus considered Apollo's words and agreed to let him live. 540, 544, "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. Themis inspired him to be the oracular voice of Delphi thereon.[157]. When the Greek hero Diomedes injured the Trojan hero Aeneas, Aphrodite tried to rescue him, but Diomedes injured her as well. But Apollo, disobeying his father, went to the land of Hyperborea and stayed there for a year. This answer is: In the late 2nd century CE floor mosaic from El Djem, Roman Thysdrus, he is identifiable as Apollo Helios by his effulgent halo, though now even a god's divine nakedness is concealed by his cloak, a mark of increasing conventions of modesty in the later Empire. [1], Apollo is a common theme in Greek and Roman art and also in the art of the Renaissance. He had found an aulos on the ground, tossed away after being invented by Athena because it made her cheeks puffy. [70], The Homeric Hymn to Apollo depicts Apollo as an intruder from the north. One of Apollo's more importaint daily tasks is to harness his chariot with four horses an drive the Sun across the sky. Apollo in anger turned her into a man. Apollo is also the lover of the Muses and by them he became the father of famous musicians like Orpheus and Linus. [350] He also erected a new temple to the god on the Palatine hill. Apollo functions as the patron and protector of sailors, one of the duties he shares with Poseidon. 8.) Hence, Nestor was able to live for 3 generations.[172]. Not only was Artemis the goddess of the hunt, she was also known as the goddess of wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity. They invade his temple, and he drives them away. His symbols include the sun, the bow and arrow, and the lyre. mouse & Cattle of the Sun. [236], Thero, daughter of Phylas, a maiden as beautiful as the moonbeams, was loved by the radiant Apollo, and she loved him in return. His oracular shrine in Abae in Phocis, where he bore the toponymic epithet Abaeus ( , Apollon Abaios), was important enough to be consulted by Croesus. In spaceflight, the 1960s and 1970s NASA program for orbiting and landing astronauts on the Moon was named after Apollo, by NASA manager Abe Silverstein: Apollo riding his chariot across the Sun was appropriate to the grand scale of the proposed program. Encouraging Hector to attack Patroclus, Apollo stripped the armour of the Greek warrior and broke his weapons. [137] He was washed clean by the goddesses who then covered him in white garment and fastened golden bands around him. Out of Hyacinthus' blood, Apollo created a flower named after him as a memorial to his death, and his tears stained the flower petals with the interjection , meaning alas. [citation needed]. [148] After completing his years of servitude, Apollo went back to Olympus as a god. The bow and arrow symbol is also a reference to Apollo as the god of plagues who shot plague arrows at the enemy during the Trojan war. He invoked Apollo and asked the god to avenge the broken promise. Each human being was completely round, with four arms and fours legs, two identical faces on opposite sides of a head with four ears, and all else to match. The goddess Aphrodite was symbolized by the dove, the god Apollo by the swan, and Zeus by the eagle. During the war, the Greek king Agamemnon captured Chryseis, the daughter of Apollo's priest Chryses, and refused to return her. To stop the battling gods and the terror created by their battle, Apollo intervened and stopped the duel between them.[212][213]. Although his sacred animals were the wolf, the raven and the dolphin, Apollo was also known as the god of cowherds and kept (bright red) sacred cows, the finest cattle in the world. The name of the goddess, Nyx (in ancient Greek: N, Nx, "night"), describes how the dark light, which she embodies, falls from the stars and imposes itself on men and gods. Apollo the Greek God of Sun by Nnnmmm Artemis Symbols [347] During the Second Punic War in 212 BCE, the Ludi Apollinares ("Apollonian Games") were instituted in his honor, on the instructions of a prophecy attributed to one Marcius. The Corybantes were spear-clashing, dancing demigods. Although Sibyl did live an extended life as Apollo had promised, he did not give her agelessness along with it, so she shrivelled and shrank and only her voice remained.[332]. [232] According to Roman poet Ovid, the chase was brought about by Cupid, who hit Apollo with golden arrow of love and Daphne with leaden arrow of hatred. When Apollo was grown, he shot the Python with arrows and took over Delphi as his own shrine. Apollo's first love, ancient Goddess.
