Phoebus Apollo (Apollo)

Cronus m. Rhea

Hestia Hades Poseidon Demeter Hera Zeus

Zeus m. Leto

Apollo Artemis

Apollo’s Birth• Leto was the daughter of the

Titans Coeus and Phoebe. She was an early and favorite lover of Zeus. Zeus married Hera while Leto was pregnant. Although the pregnancy began before the marriage, Hera was still jealous of Leto.

• Hera pushed Leto out of Olympus. As she wandered, no place would allow her to stay for fear Hera would be offended.

Finally, the desolate rocky island of Delos accepted her.

Leto first gave birth to Artemis

Then, after another nine days of labor, Artemis helped Leto give birth to her twin brother, Apollo.

Leto was forced by the anger of Hera to wander carrying her two babies

Apollo Belvedere, Roman marble, ca 2nd cent. CE

Artemis the Huntress, Roman copy in marble of a Greek bronze, ca. 4th cent. BCE

Niobe and her Children

Niobe, queen of Thebes, boasted that she deserved more tribute than Leto, since Leto only had 2 children and Niobe had 7 sons and 7 daughters. Enraged at Niobe’s hubris, Artemis and Apollo Niobe’s children, except for the youngest daughter. Death of the Children of Niobe, red-

figure amphora, ca. 460 BCE

Artemis and Apollo Piercing Niobe’s Children with their Arrows, by Jacques-Louis David

Apollo is the god of reason and intelligence, music (the lyre), prophecy, medicine, and the sun. His symbols include the sun, lyre, bow and arrow, raven, dolphin, wolf, swan and mouse.

Apollo with his lyre, by Millet, Opera, Paris

Apollo and PythonIn Greek mythology, Python was the earth-dragon of Delphi. Python became the enemy of Apollo, who, at only 4 days old, killed her and remade Delphi and the oracle his own

Apollo at Delphi

As the patron of Delphi, Apollo was an oracular god—the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. The Delphic Oracle was the most important oracle in the ancient Greek world.

Medicine and healing were associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son, yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague.

ApolloApollo’s son, Asclepius

Apollo in the Trojan WarDuring the Trojan War, Apollo was on the side of the Trojans. He shot arrows infected with the plague into the Greek encampment during the Trojan War and aided Hector during his duel with Ajax.

THE TROJAN WAR - DUEL OF AJAX & HECTOR, Red-figure Amphora

Apollo in the Trojan War

When Aeneas was injured, Apollo rescued him. First, Aphrodite tried to rescue Aeneas, but Apollo had to help.

Apollo in the Trojan War

Later, Apollo aided Paris in the killing of Achilles by guiding the arrow of his bow into Achilles' heel.

Apollo in His Chariot, Luca Giordono

Daphne and ApolloIn the myth, Phoebus Apollo teases Cupid for toying with a weapon more suited to a man (bow and arrow), at which point Cupid wounds him with a golden arrow that rouses love; simultaneously, however, Cupid shoots a leaden arrow into Daphne, causing her to be repulsed by Apollo.

Daphne and Apollo

Following a spirited chase by Apollo, Daphne prays to her father, Peneus, for help, and he changes her into the laurel tree, sacred to Apollo.

Apollo and Daphne, Antonio del Pollaiuolo

Daphne and Apollo

Even in this form Apollo loves her, feels her heartbeat beneath the trunk, embraces the branches as if they were arms. He says:“Since you cannot be my wife, you shall be my tree. Always you shall wreathe my hair, my lyre, my quiver. You shall accompany the Roman generals when the joyous triumph hymn is sung”

Apollo and Daphne, by John William Waterhouse

Apollo’s Loves

To fulfill the prophecy, Achilles ambushed and killed him.

With Hecuba, wife of King Priam of Troy, Apollo had a son named Troilus.An oracle prophesied that Troy would not be defeated as long as Troilus reached the age of twenty alive.

Apollo’s Loves

Apollo also fell in love with Cassandra, daughter of Hecuba and Priam, and Troilus' half-sister. He promised Cassandra the gift of prophecy to seduce her, but she rejected him afterwards. Enraged, Apollo indeed gifted her with the ability to know the future, with a curse that she could only see the future tragedies and that no one would ever believe her.

After the Trojan War, Cassandra is taken as a concubine and slave girl by King Agamemnon

Apollo’s Lyre

The infant Hermes stole a number of his cows and took them to a cave, covering their tracks. In the cave, he found a tortoise and killed it, then removed the insides. He used one of the cow's intestines and the tortoise shell and made the first lyre.

As an infant, Hermes escaped while his mother was sleeping. Hermes ran to where Apollo was grazing his cattle.

Apollo’s lyre

When Apollo accused Hermes of the theft, Hermes began to play music on the lyre. Apollo fell in love with the instrument and offered to allow exchange of the cattle for the lyre.

Apollo and PanPan, the goat-like god of the forests, compared his music with that of Apollo, and challenged Apollo to a contest of musical skill.

Then Apollo struck the strings of his lyre.

Pan played his pipes, which satisfied himself and his follower, Midas, who happened to be present.

Apollo and Pan

At once victory was awarded to Apollo, and all but Midas agreed with the judgment. He dissented, and questioned the justice of the award. Apollo would not suffer such a depraved pair of ears any longer, and caused them to become the ears of a donkey.

Apollo and Marsyas

Marsyas was a satyr who challenged Apollo to a contest of music. He had found a flute on the ground, tossed away after being invented by Athena because it made her cheeks puffy. The contest was judged by the Muses. After they each performed, both were deemed equal until Apollo decreed they play and sing at the same time.

Apollo and Marsyas

As Apollo played the lyre, this was easy to do. Marsyas could not do this as he only knew how to use the flute and could not sing at the same time. Apollo was declared the winner because of this.

Apollo and Marsyas

Apollo skinned Marsyas alive in a cave near for his hubris to challenge a god. He then nailed Marsyas' shaggy skin to a nearby pine-tree. Marsyas' blood turned into the river Marsyas.

Apollo’s Temples

As one of the most important and diverse of the Olympians, Apollo has numerous temples built in his honor:

Corinth

Delphi

Rome

Pompeii