Who is apollo

As Phoebus Apollo, he is the god of light. His symbol is the lyre, and he is also known as patron of shepherds. He is the only one of the Olympians to exist in Roman mythology in his own right, called by the same name by Romans as well as Greeks. In this case, she tried to prevent Leto from giving birth by forbidding everyone, the Earth included, from giving her help. Fed on nectar and ambrosia, Apollo grew to manhood in four days.

His first quest was to kill Python, a serpent that Hera had sent to chase his mother, a quest he accomplished at Delphi, near the locale sacred to the oracle. The Pythian Games were instituted in commemoration. After purification, Apollo returned to Delphi and adopted the shrine as his own. Some of the myths of Apollo involve his younger brother, Hermes. An old man who had seen the baby Hermes driving the cattle told Apollo, who — when he went to confront the thief — found Hermes innocently asleep in his cradle.

Hermes finally confessed and offered a lyre made from a tortoise shell in recompense. His brother accepted the lyre and gave Hermes the herd of cattle for his own. He also gave Hermes his staff, kerykeion in Greek or caduceus in Latin, with the two twined serpents.

He fell in love with Cyrene, daughter of the naiad Creusa, and took her to Africa where he built a city in her honor. Five fascinating facts about the Greek god Apollo. Since I was ten, I have been fascinated by mythology — in particular Greek mythology, with its array of gods, monsters and heroes.

Though each god is remarkable in their own way, I found Apollo to be particularly interesting. Apollo appears to be, what we might call today, bisexual. He was the god of so many things that even the Ancient Greeks got confused.

Oil painting of the god Apollo by Simone Cantarini. Apollo in his chariot surrounded by female figures from the ceiling fresco Aurora by Guido Reni Apollo wasted no time in avenging his mother, Leto. Apollo liked cows…but he liked music more. Apollo was temporarily stripped of his immortal power by Zeus — twice.

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