Apollo
God of light, music, poetry, and prophecy. Apollo embodied the Greek ideal of youthful masculine beauty and was patron of the Oracle at Delphi.
The Myth of Apollo
Apollo and his twin Artemis were born on the island of Delos after Hera forbade any land from sheltering their mother Leto. At four days old, Apollo slew the serpent Python at Delphi and claimed the site as his oracle. The Pythia delivered prophecies that shaped Greek history for centuries. Zeus made Apollo patron of music, poetry, and healing. He led the Muses on Olympus and played the lyre, which Hermes had invented and traded to him. Apollo fathered Asclepius, who grew so skilled he could raise the dead, prompting Zeus to strike him down. His loves were tragic — Daphne turned into a laurel to escape him, and he killed his beloved Hyacinthus with a discus. He flayed the satyr Marsyas for challenging his supremacy and cursed Cassandra with prophecy no one would believe. In the Trojan War, Apollo sided with Troy and guided Paris's arrow to the heel of Achilles.
Parents
Zeus and Leto
Symbols
Fun Fact
The term "apollonian" describes art that values reason, harmony, and order — as opposed to the wild "dionysian" spirit.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Apollo
⚡ godGod of light, music, prophecy, and plague
Apollo was the most complex Olympian — god of light, music, poetry, prophecy, healing, plague, and rational thought, the divine embodiment of Greek civilisation.
Apollo
⚡ godGod of prophecy, music, and plague
The radiant god of light, prophecy, music, healing, and plague — the most complex deity in the Greek pantheon.
Helios
⚡ godTitan god of the sun
The Titan who drove the sun chariot across the sky each day, providing light to the world. Helios saw everything that happened under the sun.
Helenus
🗡 heroProphecy, archery
Trojan prince and seer who possessed the gift of prophecy and later aided the Greeks
Teiresias
🗡 heroBlind prophet of Thebes
Tiresias was the blind seer of Thebes who experienced life as both man and woman, was blinded by the gods, and compensated with the gift of prophecy.
Eros
⚡ godGod of love and desire
The Olympian Eros was the mischievous winged god of love — son of Aphrodite, whose golden arrows caused irresistible desire and whose lead arrows caused revulsion.
God of Music
💭 conceptMusic, poetry, archery, prophecy, healing, plague
Apollo presides over music and the arts, wielding a golden lyre that can charm gods and mortals alike.
Melampus
🗡 heroNone recorded
The first mortal prophet in Greek tradition who gained the ability to understand the speech of animals after serpents licked his ears clean
Zeus
⚡ godKing of the gods, sky, thunder, lightning, law, order
Supreme ruler of the Olympian gods and lord of the sky. Zeus overthrew his father Kronos and divided the world among his brothers.
Helios
⚡ godTitan who drove the sun chariot daily
Helios was the Titan god who drove the chariot of the sun across the sky each day — seeing everything that happened on earth from his vantage point above.
Asclepius
⚡ godGod of medicine who could raise the dead
The divine physician whose healing art grew so powerful that he could resurrect the dead — forcing Zeus to strike him down to preserve cosmic order.
Dionysus
⚡ godGod of wine, festivity, theatre, ecstasy, madness
God of wine, ritual madness, and theatrical performance. Dionysus was the only Olympian born of a mortal mother and the last god to join the twelve.