Greek Mythology · deity

Apollo

Ἀπόλλων
also: Appolō
deitysun (later)musicpoetryprophecymedicinearchery

God of the sun (in later association), music, poetry, prophecy, medicine, and archery; twin of Artemis.

Apollo of the Belvedere, Vatican Museums — Apollo of the Belvedere
Apollo of the Belvedere · Yair Haklai · undated · Vatican Museums · CC BY-SA 3.0
The account

Who they are

Apollo is a god of many domains, and his identity shifted across the Greek world: earliest a god associated with light, youth, and the archery, he came to be strongly identified with the sun (a Hellenistic development — the 'sun-god' Apollo is later than the archer Apollo) [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text. He is the god of music (lyre), poetry (the Muse-calling), prophecy (his oracle at Delphi, the Pythia), medicine (his son Asclepius), and archery [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text[S6]S6 · Pausanias, Description of Greecec. 150–180 CEtext. He is the twin brother of Artemis, and both are children of Zeus and Leto (Latona) [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext. As a child he slew the Python that guarded the Delphic oracle, founding his sanctuary there [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text. He is also a god of plague (he sent the arrow-plague on the Greeks in the Iliad's opening) and of its healing — a duality the sources preserve [S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext.
Worth knowing
  • Twin of Artemis, both children of Zeus and Leto [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext.
  • Slew the Python at Delphi, founding his oracle there [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
  • The 'sun-god' Apollo is a later (Hellenistic) identification; the earliest Apollo is an archer [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
  • God of both plague and healing (sent the Iliad's plague; his son Asclepius heals) [S2]S2 · Homer, Iliadc. 750 BCEtextOpen source ↗[S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext.
Uncertainties & variants
  • Apollo's 'sun' association is later than his archer identity — we present both and date the shift [S4]S4 · Homeric Hymnsc. 700–300 BCEtext[S5]S5 · Pseudo-Apollodorus, Library (Bibliotheca)c. 1st–2nd c. CE (transmits earlier)text.
Relationships (4)

Connections

Family & kinship

PARENT_OFZeus — Zeus (with Leto) is the parent of Apollo.[S4]
PARENT_OFLeto — Leto is a parent of Apollo.[S4]
SIBLING_OFArtemis — Apollo and Artemis are twins.[S4]

Alliances & rule

ALLY_OFHermes — Hermes traded the lyre to Apollo after stealing his cattle (they became friends).[S4] [S5]
Local graph

Their corner of the divine world

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hierarchical — generations top → bottom, partners side by side
Overlays
FocusApolloGreek
GREEK · 41variantvariant♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥AegisHelmet of HadesCaduceus of Her…Trident of Pose…Thunderbolt of …Alcmenamortalthe mortal mother of Heracles1 relationsAndromedamortalthe rescued princess2 relationsAphroditedeitylove7 relationsAtlasdeitythe sky (bore)1 relationsChaosprimordialorigin2 relationsDanaemortalthe mortal mother of Perseus1 relationsDemeterdeityharvest6 relationsEchidnamonsterthe monster-mother2 relationsGaiadeityearth6 relationsHadesdeitythe dead7 relationsHeradeitymarriage8 relationsHestiadeityhearth1 relationsLetodeitymotherhood (as mother of Apollo/Artemis)2 relationsMedusamonsterthe Gorgon3 relationsMetisdeitycounsel2 relationsOceanusdeitythe great world-river1 relationsOdysseusherocunning2 relationsPenelopemortalthe faithful wife of Odysseus2 relationsPoseidondeitythe sea6 relationsRheadeitymotherhood2 relationsSemelemortalthe mortal mother of Dionysus1 relationsTethysdeitythe primordial sea1 relationsTyphonmonsterthe great monster7 relationsCerberusmonsterthe guardian of the underworld3 relationsErosdeitylove2 relationsHebedeityyouth2 relationsHephaestusdeityfire6 relationsMaiadeitythe nymph2 relationsUranusprimordialsky6 relationsPersephonedeitythe underworld2 relationsTelemachusmortalthe son of Odysseus2 relationsCronusdeitytime (later association)9 relationsZeusdeitysky29 relationsApollodeitysun (later)4 relationsAresdeitywar (violence, bloodshed)3 relationsArtemisdeitythe hunt3 relationsAthenadeitywisdom4 relationsDionysusdeitywine3 relationsHeraclesherostrength7 relationsHermesdeitymessengers5 relationsPerseusheroheroism8 relations
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Artworks

Depictions

Apollo of the Belvedere, Vatican Museums — Apollo of the Belvedere
Apollo of the Belvedere · Yair Haklai · undated · Vatican Museums · CC BY-SA 3.0
Apollo of the Belvedere · undated
Apollo of the Belvedere (detail view) — Apollo of the Belvedere (detail view)
Apollo of the Belvedere (detail view) · Wknight94 · undated · Wikimedia Commons (institution in source file) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Apollo of the Belvedere (detail view) · undated
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