Apollo, one of the 12 Olympian gods, Apollo was the god of archery , but he did not us

this for hunting of for war , medicine ,colonization , prophesy , poetry , and also the god of

pelage . Apollo was also a god of light, also called Phoebus. Apollo was a very important god to

the Greek’s. A young man with curly golden hair. One of his weaknesses is like his father, Zeus,

too happy to enjoy the charms of nymphs, as well as the occasional youth, his conquest numbers

in dozens.

According to Hesiod, Apollo was the son of the great Zeus and the Titan Leto. He also

the brother of the goddess Artemis. The myth of Apollo’s birth is another big story. Hera the wife

of Zeus found out that her husband had two other children with another goddess, Titan Leto. In

her anger, Hera would not allow Leto to give birth to her children and the land itself was afraid

to provide a shelter for Leto because of the fear of Hera. Finally, Leto found an island that was

willing to allow her to give birth; the only place to seek shelter was Delos . And also difficult to

reach, as there were strong under-currents, because people said it was a floating island. And

because it was a floating island, it was not Hera's prohibitions, and so Leto was capable to give

birth to twins ,both great goddess Apollo and Artemis. Delos , the island which means brilliant

and inspired Delian. In honor of the divine site. Apollo was then cared for by Themis, who fed

him. Themis was the goddess of divine law and order, she was Zeus’s fist councilor and also a

early bride.

Apollo's very first success was to get rid of Delphi of the serpent Python. This outrageous

creature protected Castalian Spring, the sanctuary of Pytho. Apollo took great courage to kill

Pytho. He killed her with his bowing arrow. Pytho had destroyed sacked villages , crops , and

also polluted streams. Apollo took charge of the oracle but also the neighboring countryside of

widespread destruction. How ever there was a price to pay. Pytho was the son of Gaia. Apollo

had to be Admetus’es servant , for nine years. Phobus was the god of light, and after Apollo took
the over the oracle and killed Pytho. Phobus became known as ‘Phobus Apollo’. Clarus and

Branchidae were servants of Apollo , Delphi became the most important

oracle of the great Apollo.

Zeus had many love affairs with many mortals and goddesses. So did Apollo on

the other hand. Apollo's infatuation for the nymph Daphne, Apollo had mocked Eros , he

was the god of love and lust, by saying his archery skills were pathetic. Eros thought

Apollo’s singing was aggravated him. Ladon was the goddess of the river and had a

beautiful daughter named Daphne. And was pursued by Apollo all the time. To escape

from her lover Apollo we went off to the mountains. But Apollo was determined , and

followed her into the mountains. As she was trying to loose Apollo she asked help from

the river god , Peneus, which he did. When Apollo approached Daphne and reached to

hold her she turned into a laurel tree . Apollo , upset by what had happened , made the

laurel his sacred tree.

Hypseus was king of the Lapiths. He had a daughter named

Cyrene. One day when a lion attacked one of his fathers sheep. Cyrene

fought the fearsome lion. Apollo was present at the time. When he saw

Cyrene fight that lion he fell in love with her. He kidnapped Cyrene. He

went to North Africa with her and founded the city of Cyrene , named

after her. Apollo and Cyrene made a son together. His name was

Aristaeus. Aristaeus was a demi-god. A demi-god is half a god. Aristaeus grew up to be a

guardian of cattle and the fruit , a god of hunting. He was a verywise men. He was a bee

keeper and a husbandry too.

The most famous mortal lover of Apollo was Hecuba. She

was the wife of king troy, Priam. . She bore him Troilius. Foretold by an
oracle, as long as Troilius got to the age of twenty , Troy could not be

defeated. But Achilles surrounded him and killed him, when the prince

and his sister Polyxena secretly went to a near by strem . Apollo also

fell in love, the sister of Troilius , Cassandra and daughter of Hecuba

and Priam. He seduced Cassandra on the agree that he would teach

her the art of prophecy, but having learned the prophetic art she

refused him. And Apollo, being angry of her refusal punished her, by

declaring her prophecies never to be accepted or believed.

Apollo had lots of affairs with goddesses. But he also had

an attraction like his father Zeus. He was attracted to male goddess

also. Apollo fell in love with a very handsome and athletic prince,

Hyacinthus ruler of Sparta. One day the god of the west winds saw

Apollo and Hyacinthus practicing playing the discus. Zephyrus took

jealousy of this, when Apollo was throwing the discus Zephyrus threw

an ill wind. It ended up hitting Hyacinthus. Striking him in the skull, and

fell to the ground dead.

In art Apollo is at most times depicted as a handsome young

man, clean shaven and carrying either a lyre, or his bow and arrows.

There are many sculptures of Apollo and one of the most famous is the

central figure from the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus, at

Olympia showing Apollo declaring victory in favor of the Lapiths .