History of greek god apollo

Being the god of the sunApollo was also known to the Romans as Phoebus, named after his grandmother. And because he was also a prophet, he was often known as Loxias. He shares the same name in both Greek and Roman mythology. Everything about him seems perfect and impressive but just like other gods of Greek mythologyhe too caused drama and mistakes, got punished by his own father, and was also guilty of killing people.

He had multiple love affairs, mostly left with no good end, and also had children with goddesses, nymphsand princesses. Apollo was loved by all Greeks, as he was known for his beauty, grace, and athletic body with no beard and prominent build. He wore a laurel crown on his head, held silver bows, and carried a golden sword. His bow arrow depicted his bravery, and his kithara — a lyre of sorts — portrayed his musical virtuosity.

As the god of the sun and other important aspects of Greek life, Apollo features in a number of important myths, some of which tell us about Apollo himself and others which help explain features of ancient Greek life. Leto ran away to save herself and her child in the land of Delos because Hera cursed her to never give birth. But Leto was able to give birth to twins in the secret land of Delos — the boy Apollo, and the girl Artemis goddess of the hunt.

It is said that Artemis was born first and helped her mother in giving birth to Apollo on the mountain Cynthus. According to legend, Apollo was born on the seventh day of Thargelia, an ancient Greek month that corresponds roughly with the modern month of May. Hera had already sent the dragon serpent python — the son of Gaia — to kill them mercilessly.

After being born, Apollo was fed the nectar of ambrosia, and within some days he grew strong and brave, ready to take revenge. At the age of four, he was able to kill the monstrous python with special arrows given to him by the god of blacksmiths Hephaestus. He was worshiped by the people of Delos for his bravery. After these events, Delos and Delphi became sacred sites for the worship of Zeus, Leto, Artemis, and, especially, Apollo.

The high priestess Pythia presided over the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, serving as its enigmatic oracle. The Pythian games were started to honor and celebrate Apollo. Wrestling, racing, and other competitive games were played and histories of greek god apollo like laurel wreaths, tripods, and more were given as prizes to the winners.

The Romans introduced poetry, music, dance events, and competitions to honor and remember Apollo through his art too. Spartans had a different way to honor and celebrate their god. They would adorn the statue of Apollo with clothes and a meal was served to where masters and slaves ate equally, while they danced and sang along. Apollo had a lyre, which was made from tortoiseshell, and through which he expressed his love for music.

He was the leader of the chorus of all nine Muses. He had a silver bow, which showed his skill in archery, and a palm tree, which is said to have been gripped by his mother Leto while giving birth to him. A laurel branch is also associated with Apollo. He had massive respect and love for the laurel tree, as this tree was once someone he loved — the nymph, Daphne.

To display his prophetic powers, a sacrificial tripod is linked with him. Multiple sacred sites were built for Apollo in Delos, Rhodes, and Claros. A temple at Actium was dedicated to Apollo by the warrior Octavius. Almost thirty treasuries were built by multiple cities at Delphi, all to the love of Apollo. Some of the animals that were linked with him are raven, dolphin, wolf, python, deer, mouse, and swan.

History of greek god apollo

Apollo is seen as riding with swans in a chariot in multiple paintings and other forms of modern and ancient Greek art. Asclepius brought Hippolytus, the Greek hero, back from the dead using his medicinal powers and skills. But because this was against the rules, he was killed by Zeus. Apollo was deeply upset and angered and killed Cyclops a one-eyed giant who was responsible for forming weapons like thunderbolts for Zeus.

Zeus was not happy with this and so he turned Apollo into a mortal and sent him to Earth to serve King Admetus of Therae. The second time he was punished by Zeus was when he tried to take over the throne of his own father along with Poseidonthe god of the sea. Zeus was insulted by that and sentenced them both to work for years in labor as mortals.

During this time, they were able to build the walls of Troy, protecting the city from its foes. Their interesting yet sad love story started when Apollo was struck by a love arrow from Erosthe God of love he once made fun of. He fell helplessly in love with the nymph Daphne and started approaching her. But Daphne was struck with a leaden arrow and started to detest Apollo.

To help Daphne, his father, the river god Peneus, converted her into a laurel tree. Since then, Apollo loved that tree. He wore a laurel wreath to remember his unattained love. It does not appear in the Linear B tablets, the earliest surviving texts of Greek civilization, written in a syllabic script during the Greek Bronze Age ca.

This was a very ancient name—perhaps even more ancient than the name Apollo. As a god, Apollo was associated primarily with prophecy, music, and all things beautiful. But he was also regarded as the god of medicine and plague, livestock, colonization, and virtue. Apollo was viewed as the symbol of universal and aesthetic order, civilization, and reason.

In this capacity, he would punish the wicked and overbearing. In the arts, Apollo stood for harmony and order, while Dionysusthe other divine patron of the arts, reveled in ecstasy and chaos. From earliest antiquity, Apollo was represented in both art and literature as eternally youthful and handsome, with locks of radiant hair, a clean-shaven face, and an athletic but not overly muscular physique.

The god was most commonly identified by either a bow or a musical instrument usually a lyre, but sometimes a more specialized stringed instrument called a cithara. In addition to the bow, lyre, and cithara, Apollo was also represented by the tripod, a tall, three-footed structure sometimes elaborately decorated used for sacrifices and religious rituals.

This object represented Apollo in his function as god of prophecy. Among the most important of these were swans and cicadas symbolizing music and song ; ravens, hawks, and crows his messengers ; snakes connected with prophecy ; and wolves, dolphins, deer, mice, and griffins. The mythology of Apollo began with his remarkable birth from the union of Zeus and Leto the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe.

Leto became pregnant by Zeus with twins while he was married to Hera. When Hera discovered this, she did everything in her power to try to prevent Leto from giving birth. According to the third-century BCE poet Callimachus, Hera even sent her son Ares to threaten any person or city that received Leto with utter destruction. In the end, Leto arrived on Delos, a tiny, barren island in the Aegean Sea.

According to some sources, it was Apollo himself, whispering to his mother from inside the womb, who told Leto to seek shelter on this island. But if you have the temple of far-shooting Apollo, all men will bring you hecatombs and gather here, and incessant savour of rich sacrifice will always arise, and you will feed those who dwell in you from the hand of strangers; for truly your own soil is not rich.

After a long and painful labor which Hera extended by preventing her daughter Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, from attending LetoApollo and Artemis were finally born. The young Apollo was then wrapped in resplendent robes and fed nectar and ambrosia by Themis, the goddess of law and order. According to many sources, Delos was a wandering island before Apollo and Artemis were born on it; like Leto, it roamed the world without a place to call its own.

But after the twin gods were born, Delos became rooted to its spot. Seeking to make a name for himself, the young Apollo decided to hunt the beast known as Python. A son of the primordial earth goddess GaiaPython was a giant, terrifying dragon. According to the most common tradition, Apollo tracked the beast to Delphi and killed it with his bow and arrows.

He then took over the oracle of Delphi and used it as a center from which to dispense his prophecies. In another history of greek god apollo, Apollo, this time together with his sister Artemis, killed the monster Tityus when he attempted to rape their mother, Leto. In some versions of this story, however, Tityus was killed by Zeus, [20] while in others it was Leto herself who killed him.

Apollo was introduced to music shortly after his birth and soon became known as the greatest musician in the cosmos, a title he took seriously. In one story, told in detail in the Homeric Hymns, Hermes stole a number of cows that belonged to Apollo and hid them inside a cave. While there, Hermes killed a tortoise and fashioned the first lyre from its entrails and shell.

Meanwhile, Apollo fumed about the theft and reported it to Zeus, who ordered Hermes to return the stolen cattle. As Hermes was preparing to do so, Apollo noticed him playing the instrument. The young god was so attracted to the object that he agreed to accept it in lieu of the cattle. Occasionally, the unwise and hubristic would challenge Apollo to musical contests.

They selected Tmolus, the king of Lydia, to judge a contest. Pan blew a pleasant tune on the pipes, but Apollo played his lyre with such astonishing beauty that he was immediately selected as the victor. When King Midas voiced his disapproval with the outcome, Apollo cursed him with donkey ears. The punishment for challenging Apollo could also be much more severe.

This was the case for the satyr Marsyaswho one day found the aulosa kind of flute that had been made and discarded by Athena. He learned the instrument well and eventually came to believe himself a better player than Apollo. He is revered as the god of numerous vital aspects, including:. Notably, Apollo played a crucial role in establishing oracles, particularly the renowned Delphic Oracle.

This solidified his status as a divinatory god revered throughout Greece. His influence continues to resonate in modern creative works. Delphi, home to the famous oracle, revered Apollo as the god of prophecy. The Delphic oracle played a crucial role in Greek culture, drawing visitors from across the Greek world seeking divine guidance.

Priestesses and priests often entered frenzied states believed to facilitate divine communication, particularly at Delphi. The seventh day of each month was dedicated to Apollo, emphasising his connection to light and healing. Cities vied for control and prestige associated with hosting his sanctuaries. The Delphic oracle influenced major decisions, including military undertakings and interstate relations.

Local economies around major sanctuaries thrived due to pilgrimage and festivals, solidifying their importance in regional politics and trade. These attributes not only shaped his worship but also influenced his representation in art and literature throughout ancient Greek culture. Apollo was primarily recognised as a solar deity in ancient Greece.

His character is closely related to the sun and sunrays, embodying essential qualities that provide life and nourishment to humanity. As the god of light, Apollo personifies knowledge, wisdom, truth, inspiration, and enlightenment. This connection reflects the contrasting experiences of clarity and obscurity, understanding and confusion, virtue and vice prevalent in his myths.

He traverses the sky daily, connecting to the fluctuating states of day and night. This underscores themes of birth, growth, maturity, and death, highlighting the interconnectedness of all life forms. His imagery evokes powerful associations, emphasising:. Apollo is often depicted riding a golden flaming chariot across the sky each morning, bringing daylight to the world.

In art, Apollo is typically represented as a beardless youth, embodying beauty and athleticism. He is often shown naked or adorned with attributes symbolising his connection to sun and light, such as rays or reflective surfaces that evoke brightness. The myth of Apollo defeating the serpent Python serves as a vivid representation of the triumph of light over darknesssymbolising the shift from ignorance to wisdom, and disorder to order.

He governs light, healing, prophecy, and the seasonal cycles of nature, particularly in relation to agriculture. These symbolic associations with the sun and light have had a profound impact on later cultures and arts. His multifaceted character has influenced countless creative works, from ancient epics to modern literature and art.

In ancient Greece, Apollo featured prominently in the earliest surviving epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. As the divine embodiment of light, beauty, and musicApollo has inspired generations of musicians and composers in their quest to create harmonious melodies. During the Renaissance, artists like Raphael and Michelangelo drew heavily from classical representations of Apollo.

They infused their works with themes of beauty, harmony, and divine inspiration, aligning with the ideals of that era. Apollo was often depicted as a youthful and athletic figure, accompanied by symbols like:. In Roman mythology, Apollo was adopted without a direct counterpart. His worship in Rome began around B. His image resonates in works that examine themes of beauty and desire, reflecting the ancient myths that have shaped his narrative.

The concept of the Oracle, linked with Apollo at Delphi, often appears in literature as a metaphor for ultimate knowledge and foresight amidst chaos. These characteristics have shaped his portrayal throughout history and continue to influence modern interpretations. The ancient Greeks depicted gods and heroes with a vast, intricate assortment of virtues and vices.

Apollo embodies intelligence and wisdom, showcasing strategic prowess in many tales. His undeniable beauty inspires admiration and desire, even among indifferent powers in mythology. As his character unfolds, a notable intensity appears, especially in his relationships history of greek god apollo men, such as the revered hero Achilles. This dualistic image reveals Apollo as both the god associated with healing, medicine, reasoning, light, and beautyand the deity of truth, prophecy, poetry, plague, and inebriation.

He had found an aulos on the ground, tossed away after being invented by Athena because it made her cheeks puffy. Athena had also placed a curse upon the instrument, that whoever would pick it up would be severely punished. When Marsyas played the flute, everyone became frenzied with joy. This led Marsyas to think that he was better than Apollo, and he challenged the god to a musical contest.

The contest was judged by the Musesor the nymphs of Nysa. Athena was also present to witness the contest. Marsyas taunted Apollo for "wearing his hair long, for having a fair face and smooth body, for his skill in so many arts". 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.

What of his robes so fine in texture, so soft to the touch, aglow with purple? What of his lyre that flashes gold, gleams white with ivory, and shimmers with rainbow gems? What of his song, so cunning and so sweet? Nay, all these allurements suit with naught save luxury. To virtue they bring shame alone! The Muses and Athena sniggered at this comment.

The contestants agreed to take turns displaying their skills and the rule was that the victor could "do whatever he wanted" to the loser. According to one account, after the first round, they both were deemed equal by the Nysiads. But in the next round, Apollo decided to play on his lyre and add his melodious voice to his performance.

Marsyas argued against this, saying that Apollo would have an advantage and accused Apollo of cheating. But Apollo replied that since Marsyas played the flute, which needed air blown from the throat, it was similar to singing, and that either they both should get an equal chance to combine their skills or none of them should use their mouths at all.

The nymphs decided that Apollo's argument was just. Apollo then played his lyre and sang at the same time, mesmerising the audience. Marsyas could not do this. Apollo was declared the winner and, angered with Marsyas' haughtiness and his accusations, decided to flay the satyr. According to another account, Marsyas played his flute out of tune at one point and accepted his defeat.

Out of shame, he assigned to himself the punishment of being skinned for a wine sack. Marsyas could not do this with his instrument. So the Muses who were the judges declared Apollo the winner. Apollo hung Marsyas from a tree to flay him. Apollo flayed the limbs of Marsyas alive in a cave near Celaenae in Phrygia for his hubris to challenge a god.

He then gave the rest of his body for proper burial [ ] and nailed Marsyas' flayed skin to a nearby pine-tree as a lesson to the others. Marsyas' blood turned into the river Marsyas. But Apollo soon repented and being distressed at what he had done, he tore the strings of his lyre and threw it away. The lyre was later discovered by the Muses and Apollo's sons Linus and Orpheus.

The Muses fixed the middle string, Linus the string struck with the forefinger, and Orpheus the lowest string and the one next to it. They took it back to Apollo, but the god, who had decided to stay away from music for a while, laid away both the lyre and the pipes at Delphi and joined Cybele in her wanderings to as far as Hyperborea. Cinyras was a ruler of Cypruswho was a friend of Agamemnon.

Cinyras promised to assist Agamemnon in the Trojan war, but did not keep his promise. Agamemnon cursed Cinyras. He invoked Apollo and asked the god to avenge the broken promise. Apollo then had a lyre -playing contest with Cinyrasand defeated him. Either Cinyras committed suicide when he lost, or was killed by Apollo. Apollo functions as the patron and protector of sailors, one of the duties he shares with Poseidon.

In the myths, he is seen helping heroes who pray to him for a safe journey. When Apollo spotted a ship of Cretan sailors that were caught in a storm, he quickly assumed the shape of a dolphin and guided their ship safely to Delphi. When the Argonauts faced a terrible storm, Jason prayed to his patron, Apollo, to help them. Apollo used his bow and golden arrow to shed light upon an island, where the Argonauts soon took shelter.

This island was renamed " Anaphe ", which means "He revealed it". Apollo helped the Greek hero Diomedesto escape from a great tempest during his journey homeward. As a token of gratitude, Diomedes built a temple in honor of Apollo under the epithet Epibaterius "the embarker". During the Trojan War, Odysseus came to the Trojan camp to return Chriseis, the daughter of Apollo's priest Chrysesand brought many offerings to Apollo.

Pleased with this, Apollo sent gentle breezes that helped Odysseus return safely to the Greek camp. Arion was a poet who was kidnapped by some sailors for the rich prizes he possessed. Arion requested them to let him sing for the last time, to which the sailors consented. Arion began singing a song in praise of Apollo, seeking the god's help.

Consequently, numerous dolphins surrounded the ship and when Arion jumped into the water, the dolphins carried him away safely. Apollo played a pivotal role in the entire Trojan War. He sided with the Trojans, and sent a terrible plague to the Greek camp, which indirectly led to the conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon. He killed the Greek heroes PatroclusAchilles, and numerous Greek soldiers.

He also helped many Trojan heroes, the most important one being Hector. After the end of the war, Apollo and Poseidon together cleaned the remains of the city and the camps. A war broke out between the Brygoi and the Thesprotians, who had the support of Odysseus. The gods Athena and Ares came to the battlefield and took sides. Athena helped the hero Odysseus while Ares fought alongside of the Brygoi.

When Odysseus lost, Athena and Ares came into a direct duel. To stop the battling gods and the terror created by their battle, Apollo intervened and stopped the duel between them. When Zeus suggested that Dionysus defeat the Indians in order to earn a place among the gods, Dionysus declared war against the Indians and travelled to India along with his army of Bacchantes and satyrs.

Among the warriors was AristaeusApollo's son. Apollo armed his son with his own hands and gave him a bow and arrows and fitted a strong shield to his arm. During the war between the sons of OedipusApollo favored Amphiarausa seer and one of the leaders in the war. Though saddened that the seer was fated to be doomed in the war, Apollo made Amphiaraus' last hours glorious by "lighting his shield and his helm with starry gleam".

When Hypseus tried to kill the hero with a spear, Apollo directed the spear towards the charioteer of Amphiaraus instead. Then Apollo himself replaced the charioteer and took the reins in his hands. He deflected many spears and arrows away from them. At last, when the moment of departure came, Apollo expressed his grief with tears in his eyes and bid farewell to Amphiaraus, who was soon engulfed by the Earth.

Apollo killed the giants Python and Tityos, who had assaulted his mother Leto. During the gigantomachyApollo and Heracles blinded the giant Ephialtes by shooting him in his eyes, Apollo shooting his left and Heracles his right. The Aloadaenamely Otis and Ephialtes, were twin giants who decided to wage war upon the gods. They attempted to storm Mt.

Olympus by piling up mountains, and threatened to fill the sea with mountains and inundate dry land. Angered by this, Apollo killed them by shooting them with arrows. Phorbas was a savage giant king of Phlegyas who was described as having swine-like features. He wished to plunder Delphi for its wealth. He seized the roads to Delphi and started harassing the pilgrims.

He captured the old people and children and sent them to his army to hold them for ransom. 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. He hung the chopped-off heads to an oak tree. Finally, Apollo came to put an end to this cruelty. He entered a boxing contest with Phorbas and killed him with a single blow.

In the first Olympic gamesApollo defeated Ares and became the victor in wrestling. He outran Hermes in the race and won first place. Apollo divides months into summer and winter. During his absence, Delphi was under the care of Dionysusand no prophecies were given during winters. Periphas was an Attican king and a priest of Apollo.

He was noble, just and rich. He did all his duties justly. Because of this people were very fond of him and started honouring him to the same extent as Zeus. At one point, they worshipped Periphas in place of Zeus and set up shrines and temples for him. This annoyed Zeus, who decided to annihilate the entire family of Periphas. But because he was a just king and a good devotee, Apollo intervened and requested his father to spare Periphas.

Zeus considered Apollo's words and agreed to let him live. But he metamorphosed Periphas into an eagle and made the eagle the king of birds. When Periphas' wife requested Zeus to let her stay with her husband, Zeus turned her into a vulture and fulfilled her wish. Molpadia and Parthenos were the sisters of Rhoeoa former lover of Apollo. One day, they were put in charge of watching their father's ancestral wine jar but they fell asleep while performing this duty.

While they were asleep, the wine jar was broken by the swine their family kept. When the sisters woke up and saw what had happened, they threw themselves off a cliff in fear of their father's wrath. Apollo, who was passing by, caught them and carried them to two different cities in Chersonesus, Molpadia to Castabus and Parthenos to Bubastus.

He turned them into goddesses and they both received divine honors. Molpadia's name was changed to Hemithea upon her deification. Prometheus was the titan who was punished by Zeus for stealing fire. He was bound to a rock, where each day an eagle was sent to eat Prometheus' liver, which would then grow back overnight to be eaten again the next day.

Seeing his plight, Apollo pleaded with Zeus to release the kind Titan, while Artemis and Leto stood behind him with tears in their eyes. Zeus, moved by Apollo's words and the tears of the goddesses, finally sent Heracles to free Prometheus. After Heracles then named Alcides was struck with madness and killed his family, he sought to purify himself and consulted the oracle of Apollo.

Apollo, through the Pythia, commanded him to serve king Eurystheus for twelve years and complete the ten tasks the king would give him. Only then would Alcides be absolved of his sin. Apollo also renamed him Heracles. To complete his third task, Heracles had to capture the Ceryneian Hinda hind sacred to Artemis, and bring back it alive.

After chasing the hind for one year, the animal eventually got tired, and when it tried crossing the river Ladon, Heracles captured it. While he was taking it back, he was confronted by Apollo and Artemis, who were angered at Heracles for this act. However, Heracles soothed the goddess and explained his situation to her. After much pleading, Artemis permitted him to take the hind and told him to return it later.

After he was freed from his servitude to Eurystheus, Heracles fell in conflict with Iphytus, a prince of Oechalia, and murdered him. Soon after, he contracted a terrible disease. He consulted the oracle of Apollo once again, in the hope of ridding himself of the disease. The Pythia, however, denied to give any prophesy. In anger, Heracles snatched the sacred tripod and started walking away, intending to start his own oracle.

However, Apollo did not tolerate this and stopped Heracles; a duel ensued between them. Artemis rushed to support Apollo, while Athena supported Heracles. Soon, Zeus threw his thunderbolt between the fighting brothers and separated them. He reprimanded Heracles for this act of violation and asked Apollo to give a solution to Heracles. Apollo then ordered the hero to serve under Omphalequeen of Lydia for one year in order to purify himself.

After their reconciliation, Apollo and Heracles together founded the city of Gythion. A long time ago, there were three kinds of human beings: male, descended from the sun; female, descended from the earth; and androgynous, descended from the moon. Each human being was completely round, with four arms and four legs, two identical faces on opposite sides of a head with four ears, and all else to match.

They were powerful and unruly. Otis and Ephialtes even dared to scale Mount Olympus. To check their insolence, Zeus devised a plan to humble them and improve their manners instead of completely destroying them. He cut them all in two and asked Apollo to make necessary repairs, giving humans the individual shape they still have now. Apollo turned their heads and necks around towards their wounds, he pulled together their skin at the abdomenand sewed the skin together at the middle of it.

This is what we call navel today. He smoothened the wrinkles and shaped the chest. But he made sure to leave a few wrinkles on the abdomen and around the navel so that they might be reminded of their punishment. Apollo was also bidden to heal their wounds and compose their forms. So Apollo gave a turn to the face and pulled the skin from the sides all over that which in our language is called the belly, like the purses which draw in, and he made one mouth at the centre [of the belly] which he fastened in a knot the same which is called the navel ; he also moulded the breast and took out most of the wrinkles, much as a shoemaker might smooth leather upon a last; he left a few wrinkles, however, in the region of the belly and navel, as a memorial of the primeval state.

Leukatas was believed to be a white-colored rock jutting out from the island of Leukas into the sea. It was present in the sanctuary of Apollo Leukates. A leap from this rock was believed to have put an end to the longings of love. Once, Aphrodite fell deeply in love with Adonisa young man of great beauty who was later accidentally killed by a boar.

Heartbroken, Aphrodite wandered looking for the rock of Leukas. When she reached the sanctuary of Apollo in Argos, she confided in him her love and sorrow. Apollo then brought her to the rock of Leukas and asked her to throw herself from the top of the rock. She did so and was freed from her love. When she sought the reason behind this, Apollo told her that Zeus, before taking another lover, would sit on this rock to free himself from his love for Hera.

Another tale relates that a man named Nireus, who fell in love with the cult statue of Athena, came to the rock and jumped in order to relieve himself. After jumping, he fell into the net of a fisherman in which, when he was pulled out, he found a box filled with gold. 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.

It was an ancestral custom among the Leukadians to fling a criminal from this rock every year at the sacrifice performed in honor of Apollo for the sake of averting evil. However, a number of men would be stationed all around below rock to catch the criminal and take him out of the borders in order to exile him from the island. Once Heraout of spite, aroused the Titans to war against Zeus and take away his throne.

Accordingly, when the Titans tried to climb Mount OlympusZeus with the help of Apollo, Artemis and Athenadefeated them and cast them into Tartarus. Apollo is said to have been the lover of all nine Musesand not being able to choose one of them, he decided to remain unwed. He fathered the Corybantes by the Muse Thalia. Alternatively, Linus was said to be the son of Apollo and either Urania or Terpsichore.

Cyrene was a Thessalian princess whom Apollo loved. In her honor, he built the city Cyrene and made her its ruler. She was later granted longevity by Apollo who turned her into a nymph. The couple had two sons, Aristaeusand Idmon. Evadne was a nymph daughter of Poseidon and a lover of Apollo. They had a son, Iamos. During the time of the childbirth, Apollo sent Eileithyiathe goddess of childbirth to assist her.

Rhoeoa princess of the island of Naxos was loved by Apollo. Out of affection for her, Apollo turned her sisters into goddesses. On the island Delos she bore Apollo a son named Anius. Not wanting to have the child, she entrusted the infant to Apollo and left. Apollo raised and educated the child on his own. Ourea, a daughter of Poseidonfell in love with Apollo when he and Poseidon were serving the Trojan king Laomedon.

They both united on the day the walls of Troy were built. Ileus was very dear to Apollo. Therodaughter of Phylasa maiden as beautiful as the moonbeams, was loved by the radiant Apollo, and she loved him in return. Through their union, she became the mother of Chaeron, who was famed as "the tamer of horses". He later built the city Chaeronea.

Hyrie or Thyrie was the mother of Cycnus. Apollo turned both the mother and son into swans when they jumped into a lake and tried to kill themselves. An oracle prophesied that Troy would not be defeated as long as Troilus reached the age of twenty alive. He was ambushed and killed by Achilleusand Apollo avenged his death by killing Achilles.

After the sack of Troy, Hecuba was taken to Lycia by Apollo. Coronis was daughter of PhlegyasKing of the Lapiths. While pregnant with AsclepiusCoronis fell in love with Ischysson of Elatus and slept with him. When Apollo found out about her infidelity through his prophetic powers or thanks to his raven who informed him, he sent his sister, Artemis, to kill Coronis.

Apollo rescued the baby by cutting open Coronis' belly and gave it to the centaur Chiron to raise. Dryopethe daughter of Dryops, was impregnated by Apollo in the form of a snake. She gave birth to a son named Amphissus. He used his histories of greek god apollo to conceal her pregnancy from her father. Later, when Creusa left Ion to die in the wild, Apollo asked Hermes to save the child and bring him to the oracle at Delphiwhere he was raised by a priestess.

Apollo loved and kidnapped an Oceanid nymph, Melia. Her father Oceanus sent one of his sons, Caanthusto find her, but Caanthus could not take her back from Apollo, so he burned Apollo's sanctuary. In retaliation, Apollo shot and killed Caanthus. Hyacinth or Hyacinthusa beautiful and athletic Spartan prince, was one of Apollo's favourite lovers.

Apollo is said to be filled with grief. The festival Hyacinthia was a national celebration of Sparta, which commemorated the death and rebirth of Hyacinthus. Another male lover was Cyparissusa descendant of Heracles. Apollo gave him a tame deer as a companion but Cyparissus accidentally killed it with a javelin as it lay asleep in the undergrowth.

Cyparissus was so saddened by its death that he asked Apollo to let his histories of greek god apollo fall forever. Apollo granted the request by turning him into the Cypress named after him, which was said to be a sad tree because the sap forms droplets like tears on the trunk. Admetusthe king of Pherae, was also Apollo's lover. The romantic nature of their relationship was first described by Callimachus of Alexandria, who wrote that Apollo was "fired with love" for Admetus.

He would also make cheese and serve it to Admetus. His domestic actions caused embarrassment to his family. Oh how often his sister Diana blushed at meeting her brother as he carried a young calf through the fields! When Admetus wanted to marry princess AlcestisApollo provided a chariot pulled by a lion and a boar he had tamed. This satisfied Alcestis' father and he let Admetus marry his daughter.

Further, Apollo saved the king from Artemis' wrath and also convinced the Moirai to postpone Admetus' death once. Branchusa shepherd, one day came across Apollo in the woods. Captivated by the god's beauty, he kissed Apollo. Apollo requited his affections and wanting to reward him, bestowed prophetic skills on him. His descendants, the Branchides, were an influential clan of prophets.

Apollo sired many children, from mortal women and nymphs as well as the goddesses. His children grew up to be physicians, musicians, poets, seers or archers. Many of his sons founded new cities and became kings. Asclepius is the most famous son of Apollo. His skills as a physician surpassed that of Apollo's. Zeus killed him for bringing back the dead, but upon Apollo's request, he was resurrected as a god.

Aristaeus was placed under the care of Chiron after his birth. He became the god of beekeeping, cheese-making, animal husbandry and more. He was ultimately given immortality for the benefits he bestowed upon humanity. The Corybantes were spear-clashing, dancing demigods. The sons of Apollo who participated in the Trojan War include the Trojan princes Hector and Troilusas well as Tenesthe king of Tenedosall three of whom were killed by Achilles over the course of the war.

Apollo fathered 3 daughters, ApollonisBorysthenis and Cephissowho formed a group of minor Muses, the "Musa Apollonides". AniusPythaeus and Ismenus lived as high priests. Most of them were trained by Apollo himself. He also had a son by Agathippe who was named Chrysorrhoas who was a mechanic artist. Apollo turned Parthenos into a constellation after her early death.

Additionally, Apollo fostered and educated Chironthe centaur who later became the greatest teacher and educated many demigods, including Apollo's sons. Apollo also fostered Carnusthe son of Zeus and Europa. The following is a list of Apollo's offspring, by various mothers. Beside each offspring, the earliest source to record the parentage is given, along with the century to which the source in some cases approximately dates.

Love affairs ascribed to Apollo are a late development in Greek mythology. Daphne was a nymph who scorned Apollo's advances and ran away from him. When Apollo chased her in order to persuade her, she changed herself into a laurel tree. According to other versions, she cried for help during the chase, and Gaia helped her by taking her in and placing a laurel tree in her place.

The leaves became the symbol of victory and laurel wreaths were given to the victors of the Pythian games. Marpessa was kidnapped by Idas but was loved by Apollo as well. 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. Sinopea nymph, was approached by the amorous Apollo.

She made him promise that he would grant to her whatever she would ask for, and then cleverly asked him to let her stay a virgin. Apollo kept his promise and went back. Bolina was admired by Apollo but she refused him and jumped into the sea. To avoid her death, Apollo turned her into a nymph, saving her life. Castalia was a nymph whom Apollo loved.