Apollo

Born on Delos

Apollo and his twin sister Artemis were children of Zeus and the Titaness Leto. Hera, jealous as ever, forbade any land to shelter Leto while she gave birth, until the floating island of Delos took her in. Delos became one of the holiest places in Greece.

God of order and harmony

Apollo embodied the Greek ideals of balance, reason and beauty. He played the lyre for the gods and led the Muses, and he could send plague with his arrows or take it away, which made him the father of Asclepius, the god of medicine. Through his oracle he revealed the will of Zeus to mortals. In later times he was also identified with Helios, the sun.

Key myths

• Slaying the serpent Python and founding his oracle at Delphi
• His love for the nymph Daphne, who became a laurel tree
• The musical contest with the satyr Marsyas
• Sending plague on the Greek camp at Troy

Worship

Delphi was the centre of his worship, where the Pythia delivered prophecies in his name and the Pythian Games honoured him with contests in music and athletics. The laurel wreath awarded there became a lasting symbol of victory, and Delos hosted a great festival of song and dance in his honour.