Apollo was one of the most important and many-faceted gods in Greek mythology. He was known as the god of light and sun, archery, prophecy, truth, medicine, music, healing, poetry, and the arts. He was a god who could bring death or plague, or could heal and cure. He was patron god of the herds and flocks, and the director of the Muses choir.

The bow and arrow were commonly depicted with Apollo, as were the lyre, the plectrum, the sword, and the tripod that represented Apollo’s powers for prophecy. The palm and laurel were sacred to Apollo, as were wolves, deer, dolphins, swans, hawks, ravens, crows, snakes, griffins, mice, and mythical eagle-lions.

Mythology

Apollo is the twin brother of Artemis, born to Zeus and Leto. Leto had been banished from giving birth anywhere the sun had already shone by the jealous Hera, and meandered the earth until she found the islet of Delos, which was newly formed. She gave birth on Delos, which later became a sacred place to Apollo.

One of Apollo’s first major achievements was to slay the serpent of Pytho, which guarded its lair beside the Castalian Spring. The Sibyl inhaled the hypnotic vapors from the spring and told of prophecies. When Apollo killed the serpent with his bow and arrows, he took control of the oracle at Pytho as well as the surrounding countryside, which was finally freed of the destructive behavior of the python.

As penance for slaying the python, who was Gaia’s son, Apollo served as a cowherd with King Admetus for nine years. He returned to Pythos in the form of a dolphin, which is likely how the city came to be known as Delphi. It became the most important oracle for Apollo, and the Pythian Games were held in his honor in Delphi every four years.

Apollo could heal, but he could also be ruthless and vicious. When the Greeks dishonored one of his priests, he showered them with plague infested arrows. He killed the offspring of Niobe, who had boasted of her superiority to Leto because she had borne 14 children. Niobe fled in grief to Mount Sipylon where she turned to stone.

After Zeus killed Asclepius, Apollo’s son, for resurrecting and stealing the dead from Hades, Apollo sought revenge by killing the very Cyclops who had made Zeus’ infamous thunderbolt.

Apollo participated in the killing of Achilles by guiding the arrow of Paris into Achilles’ heel. Prior to his death, Achilles had ambushed and killed Apollo’s son Troilus. It was said that Troy would not be defeated had Troilus lived until his twentieth birthday.

Throughout Apollo’s lifetime he had many consorts, both male and female. The most famous was Daphne, who had scorned Apollo after he taught her the art of divination. Apollo pursued her relentlessly, and Daphne sought relief from Mother Earth. She was transformed into a Laurel tree, which became sacred to Apollo.
Apollo’s male lovers included the Spartan prince Hyacinthus and Cyparissus, a descendant of Heracles.

Apollo in Popular Culture

• NASA’s lunar exploration program was called Apollo, and operated from 1963 to 1972. This was the program responsible for putting the first man on the moon.

• The Apollo Theater in New York has launched the careers of some of today’s most famous black musicians, including Benny Carter, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Lauren Hill. Ella Fitzgerald was one of the first winners of Apollo’s amateur night.

• Disney’s Hercules series featured Apollo in Hercules and the Apollo Mission. Keith David played the role of Apollo, with James Woods portraying Hades and Betty White as Hestia. In this episode, Zeus put Hercules to work guiding Apollo’s chariot through the heavens.

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