The Greek Gods

The Greek god Apollo is often depicted with a bow, lyre, and laurel. Apollo was the twin brother of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, childbirth, and animals. Apollo was the god of light and the sun, truth and prophesy, archery, medicine and healing, music, poetry, the arts, and more. Apollo was worshiped by both the Greeks and the Romans. He was the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, animals, and the virgin goddess of childbirth. Apollo had the power to heal as well as bring about plagues, rabies, and other diseases. He also ruled over some cities and areas and was the defender of herds and flocks. He had the task of leading the Muses and directing their choir. He was said to have invented the lyre by some but others claim that Hermes made the lyre for Apollo.

Hera was married to Zeus and she was very jealous of the other women that Zeus lay with. She was determined to kill every other child he fathered besides hers. She banned Leto from giving birth on the mainland when she found out that Zeus was the father of her babies. Leto found the island of Delos and gave birth there. It is believed that Artemis was born first then aided Leto in the birth of Apollo. It was also written that Artemis was born on the island of Ortygia and then helped Leto to the island of Delos and Leto there gave birth to Apollo.

While still a young boy, it is said that he killed the Chthonic dragon Phython. Phython lived in Delphi beside the Castalian Spring. This spring emitted vapors which caused the oracle at Delphi to give her prophesies. After Apollo killed Phython, he had to be punished because Phthon was the son of Gaea. Apollo was sentenced to one year of hard labor. He served as a shepherd for King Admetus of Pherae, in Thessaly.

Apollo was also noted to have shot infected plague arrows into the Greek camp during the Trojan War. Artemis, Apollo’s twin sister, was trying to rescue her son Aenas, in the Trojan War, when Diomedes was about to kill him. Apollo rescued him because Artemis was injured on her wrist by Diomedes and dropped Aeneas. Apollo wrapped Aeneas in a cloud and took him to a sacred place in Troy. Then Apollo helped prince Paris kill Achilles by guiding an arrow into his heel.

The stories of the Greek gods go on and on and you can read all about any of them on the internet or in books found in your local library. These stories are very interesting and sometimes there is more than one translated version of any given story.