Greek Mythology

Apollo

APOLLO
(Roman: Apollo)

One of the 12 olympians.
Apollo was the God of the sun, of light, of truth, and poetry among other things. He was often depicted as bearing a bow and arrow, or often a lyre.

He was the son of Zeus and Leto, a daughter of Coeus and Phoebe (Titans), and twin brother to Artemis. Due to Hera's anger and jealousy of Leto as her husband had lain with her and the two produced offspring, Apollo's early life was largely occupied by protecting his mother against Hera's wrath.

Hera's first attempt on Leto was by sending Python, a dragon who dwelled beneath the living surface of Gaia.

In order to be equipped to protect his mother, Apollo entreated Hephaestus to provide him with armaments. He received his iconic bow and arrow and, at only four days old, Apollo was said to have slain Python.

Hera wasn't done going after Leto, however. Her next attempt on Leto was commenced by sending the giant Tityos to dispatch her rival.

Tityos was around twenty two square miles' worth of giant but, with the help of his sister Artemis, Tityos was defeated and cast into Tartarus by Zeus. While in Tartarus, Tityos was doomed to have his liver perpetually consumed by vultures.

Although he was considered a healer of man and God in Greek Mythology, he also could bring death and disease with his arrows. One notable instance of this began with a simple insult.

Niobe was the wife of Amphion, one of the founders of Thebes and its ruler. She boasted to Leto that she had seven times as many children (seven sons and seven daughters) as Leto's two: Apollo and Artemis.

Apollo and Artemis swiftly killed all (or in some versions, all but one) of Niobe's children; Apollo killed the sons while Artemis killed the daughters.

Apollo was bisexual and had a vast number of male and female consorts. He bore many children, however the story of Apollo and Daphne is one of the most famous. As the story goes, Apollo was remarking to Eros that his bow and arrow were above his station, that he was unfit to wield them.

Eros, having had enough of Apollo's taunts shot two arrows: A golden arrow of love through Apollo's heart and a leaden arrow of hate or disgust into the nymph Daphne.

Apollo immediately pursued the nymph who was disgusted and fled his advances. She entreated her father Peneus, the river God to help her.

Her father turned her into a laurel tree, but Apollo's love of her was unwavering. He embraced the branches, but even they shrank away from him.

He declared that as he retained eternal youth, so should the leaves of the tree never decay. He would guard the tree from any who would do it harm, and use its branches as crowns for the leaders of the world.

Credits:
All About Mythology

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