Apollo was the Greek god of the sun, music, medicine, prophecy, reason, and intelligence. He was the son of Zeus and Leda and twin brother of Artemis. Apollo was associated with prophecies from the Delphic oracle and the laurel tree. He had few children but many romantic encounters. Apollo was handsome with curly golden hair. His symbols included the sun, lyre, bow and arrow. He was creative and supportive of the arts but also enjoyed nymphs and youths. Apollo was born on the island of Delos and had no official spouse, though he had several lovers.

1. APOLLO
The God of Sun, Music, Medicine, Prophecy,
Reason, and Intelligence

2. APOLLO’S ORGIN
• The Greek god Apollo is the brother of Artemis (huntress
and sometimes thought of as the moon goddess), and the son
of Zeus and Leda.
• Apollo is associated with the prophecies coming from the
Delphic oracle and the laurel, since when he pursued Daphne
she was turned into a laurel tree to escape from him.
• Apollo had few children and many romances. The healing god
Asclepius was one of these children. Because of his gifts,
Asclepius not only could, but did bring mortals back to life.
Zeus was horrified and so stopped him by killing him.

3. APOLLO’S APPEARANCE
• Apollo was a handsome, strong
and youthful god with curly
golden hair.

4. APOLLO’S SYMBOLS
• The Sun
• Lyre
• Bow and Arrow
• Raven
• Dolphin
• Wolf
• Swan
• Mouse

5. APOLLO’S STRENGTH
•Creative, handsome,
supportive of all the
arts of civilization.

6. APOLLO’S
WEAKNESSES
• Like his father Zeus , Apollo is
all too happy to enjoy the charms
of nymphs, as well as the
occasional youth, and his
conquests number in the dozens.

7. BIRTH PLACE OF APOLLO
• On the sunny Greek island of Delos,
where he was born along with his twin
sister, Artemis. A palm tree is pointed
out as the actual site of the birth.
Another tradition gives the islands of
Lato, the Letoides, now called
Paximadia, off the southern coast of
Crete.

8. SPOUSE OF APOLLO
• Apollo had many encounters, but no
marriages. Flings with Cassandra, to whom
he gave the gift of prophecy; Daphne, who
fled from his embrace and turned into a
laurel tree; Acacallis, a maiden from the
Samaria Gorge on the island of Crete who
was spurned by her proud family for
choosing a "foreign" Greek god, and Calliope,
with whom he had a child, Orpheus.

9. Apollo's Children
• Aristaeus, the rustic god of shepherds and cheese-making, bee-
keeping, honey, honey-mead, olive growing, medicinal herbs and
the Etesian winds which eased the scorching heat of midsummer.
• Asclepius, god of medicine and reputed ancestor of the
Asklepiades, the ancient Greek doctors' guild.
• Phoibe and Hilaeira, daughters of Apollo who became immortal,
wives to Polydeukes and Castor.
• Three Muses, daughters of the god Apollo, named Kephiso,
Apollonis and Borysthenis, or Nete, Mese, Hypate. The latter
represented the lowest, middle and highest strings of the lyre.

10. Some Major Temple Sites of Apollo
• The mountain town of Delphi,
where a few columns from an
early temple of Apollo still stand.
The island of Delos is also
sacred to him, but there is no
temple remaining there today.

11. Interesting Fact
• Apollo Delphinus or Delphinus was the dolphin-form
of the god and was revered at Delphi - despite its
location high in the mountains. He supposedly
commandeered a Cretan ship in his dolphin form,
jumping out of the water and landing on its deck, and
then forced it to the coastline at Delphi; the sailors
on the ship supposedly became his first priests at
Delphi. He was also believed to have destroyed an
evil serpent at Delphi, and took over as the patron
god of the famous oracle there. Some ancient coins
show the head of Apollo with dolphins swimming in
the background.