Apollo is the Greek god of healing, truth, prophecy, archery, music, light, literature, strength, art, childbirth, fertility and more and also the (slightly) younger twin brother of Artemis. He was loved by a lot of mortal women, goddesses, demigoddesses and Nymphs. Unlike the other Greek deities, Apollo doesn't have a roman equivalent.
Biography[]
Apollo, the light god, was born on an island called Delos. Not long after his birth, Apollo asked Hepaestus to make him a bow and arrows to kill Python, the earth dragon and one of Gaia's children who was sent by Hera to hunt his mother. After the death of the monster, the Pythian games were founded in honor of Apollo and the dragon. Also in his honor, Apollo became ruler of Delphi. Gaia was not happen about one of her children being killed so Zeus punished Apollo he made up for his action by naming the Oracle of Delphi Pythia and creating the Pythian games. When the dragon Python was killed, Hera sent the giant Tityos after Leto but was defeated by Apollo and then Zeus tossed the giant into Tartarus. When Apollo reigned over Delphi, Heracles came to the city to consult with the Oracle and was refused which caused a fight. Zeus stopped the fighting by hurling a lighnting bolt between them.
When Hermes was born, he stole Apollo's sacred cattle. Apollo found out and brought Hermes before Zeus and the other gods as punishment for stealing. Hermes denied his actions. Zeus and the other gods did not believe his story but found it amusing so he was not punished but Zeus made Hermes give the cattle back. Hermes gave Apollo his lyre as a gift of forgiveness.
There is a story of Apollo being punished by Zeus. In the story, one of his sons, the demigod of medicine Asclepius, brings a hunter named Hippolytus back to life for Artemis. This action upset Hades so Zeus killed Asclepius. Apollo filled with anger killed the Cyclopes who helped Hephaestus make the lightningbolts. Zeus was going to send Apollo to Tartarus but Leto begged him not to instead he was sent to live with the mortals in Troy. He was one of the many gods who fought in the Trojan war and helped Troy fight the Greeks.
After their fight, Zeus decided to resurrect Asclepius and make him a god to end the feud with Apollo. After his resurrection, Zeus made Asclepius promise to never revive the dead with out his approval.
Before the Trojan war, Hecuba, the queen of Troy, was one of Apollo's many lovers and had a son, Troilus. Priam, king of Troy and husband of Hecuba, treated him like his own son. Troilus was killed in one of Apollo's temples so the city of Troy would fall. After the fall of Troy, Hecuba was taken as a slave and her children and Priam were killed but she escaped and was rescued by Hecate.
Asclepius was the son of Apollo and Coronis, which is one of his father's many lovers. When Coronis was pregnant, she cheated on Asclepius's father with Ischys while Apollo was away but they didn't know he left a crow behind to look out for her. The crow found Apollo and told him what Coronis had done. Ischys and Coronis were killed for their action. Apollo hurried as fast as he could to save the unborn baby. Later, the light god grieved at his lovers funeral. To make up for what happened, Apollo made Asclepius his favorite son. Apollo was one of the gods who fought in the giant war working together with Heracles. The two killed the giant Ephialtes.
The light god is protective of his family. These actions are shown when he saved his mother from the Python, answer again when he and his sister svelte her form a giant, he killed Niobe's sons because she bragged about having more kids than his mother Leto, trying to make the Lycian Peasants give their mother Leto water, keeping Artemis from marrying Orion so she can keep her virginity and he had his son Asclepius bring one of Artemis hunters back to life for his sister. Another action of him caring for his sister is trying to keep the hunting goddess from losing her best huntress by telling Atalanta to never marry because of the future the Oracle of Delphi saw.
When Apollo was sent to live with the mortals as punishment, he appeared as a poor man to king Admetus. The king was kind enough to help him. Apollo thanked the king and reveled who he really was because of his kindness. The light god promise that if he needed anything, he would help him. When Admetus fell in love with a woman named Alcestis, he asked for Apollo to help him win her love. The light god helped him succeed. Admetus and Alcestis lived happy until the king became ill. Apollo came to his aid. He made a deal with the Moira is to save the king or someone else would have to take his place only one person agreed Alcestis. Thanatos took her to the underworld. Heracles, a friend of Admetus, arrives at the city and learns what happened to the son of Zeus, enters in Persephone's realm in the underworld and finds Thanatos while wrestling with the god of death. Persephone was moved by Alcestis actions. She asked for Thanatos to send Alcestis back to Admetus. Heracles wins and the god of death send her back. Apollo is glad to see the lovers back together.
When Artemis and Ares decided to punish Aphrodite by killing Adonis, Apollo took part in this action because the goddess of love has blinding his Erymanthus for see her with Adonis.
In one story, Selene, the Titan Moon goddess of Helios and Eos, was a loyal maiden to Apollo and the Oracle of Delphi until she fell in love with Ambrogio. Being know as a god who loved many women, Apollo cursed Ambrogio into a vampire so he wouldn't take Selene from him. After his curse, the man decided to strike a deal with Hades for having his soul trapped in the underworld with his body is still living on earth. Unknown to the light god , Selene's love for the man was so great that she would follow him down the same path.
Just like his sister, Artemis who placed Callisto and Orion, who were people close to her, in the sky as constellations, Apollo had the same thing done to the crow Corvus who told the light god that Coronis is cheating on him. Apollo, angry that the bird didn't stop this, punished him. However, this action did not get the crow turned into a constellation. It was when Corvus lied to Apollo telling him that he could get water for his cup because of a Hydra keeping him from getting it. Apollo didn't believe him and he wanted proof. The bird brought back a snake saying that it was the Hydra. Apollo knew this was a lie and had the crow, the cup and the snake turned into constellations in the night sky.
Powers and abilities[]
Apollo, being the twin brother of Artemis, is also a possessor of very unique powers. He is excellent at archery, trap making and also hunting, all in a slightly lower rate than his slightly older sister. Apollo is a really powerful god, some say he could be even stronger than Ares. Yet, he wasn't nearly as a strong as Artemis. He could be stronger than Athena, but that's uncertain. Apollo, however, does have some unique powers that gods stronger than him don't, like partially controlling the Sun, and also, guessing at a relatively high rate, the future, although not always with clear certainty.
Personality[]
Apollo is aggressive sometimes, and definitely a jealous god, being jealous of Orion when his sister fell in love with the great hunter. Other than that, Apollo is a loving, strong willed, determined and all caring god, loving and protecting his mother Leto, as well as his twin sister.
Apollo's Possessions[]
- Oxes
- Sword
- Shield
- Bow & Arrows
- Armor
- Chariot
- Lyre
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