He was the god of healing, medicine, archery, music, poetry and the sun. Since Apollo was the god of healing, he performed purification ceremonies for mortals who had committed immoral acts. Apollo's sacred animals included the DOLPHIN, the WOLF, and the SWAN.
Swine were sacrificed especially to Demeter and Dionysus, goats to the last named divinity and to Apollo and Aromis as well as Aphrodite, while they were excluded from the service of Athene, and it was only at Sparta that they were presented to Hera.
His attributes include the laurel wreath and lyre. He often appears in the company of the Muses. Animals sacred to Apollo include roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, mice, and snakes.
Apollo liked cows…but he liked music more.
Although his sacred animals were the wolf, the raven and the dolphin, Apollo was also known as the god of cowherds and kept (bright red) sacred cows, the finest cattle in the world.
Python, in Greek mythology, a huge serpent that was killed by the god Apollo at Delphi either because it would not let him found his oracle, being accustomed itself to giving oracles, or because it had persecuted Apollo's mother, Leto, during her pregnancy.
PYTHON (Puthôn), the famous dragon who guarded the oracle of Delphi, is described as a son of Gaea. He lived in the caves of mount Parnassus, but was killed by Apollo, who then took possession of the oracle.
One day Apollo saw Coronis and became enamoured of her. He lay with her in her home, and consequently she became pregnant.
According to legend, Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth and they met exactly at the spot of Apollo's sanctuary, which came to be known universally by the name of DELPHI [del'feye], or DELPHOI, for the following reason. After Apollo had established his sanctuary, he needed to recruit attendants.
Apollo's love for Daphne was so strong that the god of prophecy was unable to foretell his future but still, his emotions were uncontrollable. He approached the nymph whom he now saw more beautiful and virtuous than she actually was.
Apollo angered his father Zeus and ended up being sent to Earth and is in the body of a 16 year-old boy named Lester Papadopolous. Zeus punishes Apollo for the role that he played in the battle between the gods in Gaea. Apollo is of course upset about this and is wondering how soon he can get back to god status.
- Apollo's pet is a raven because it's one of his symbols.
Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy, but was also cursed by the god Apollo so that her true prophecies would not be believed.
The dreaded curse dates all the way back to 1882, when Apollo won the Kentucky Derby by defeating 4-5 favorite Runnymede. Since then, no horse has won the race after not starting as a two-year-old.
Apollo taught her to play the lyre and to sing. Zeus gave her a foolish, mischievous and idle nature and last but not least, Hera gave her the wiliest gift, curiosity.
Strengths: Creative, handsome, supportive of all the arts of civilization. Weaknesses: Like his father Zeus, Apollo gets in trouble over love. Birthplace: On the sunny Greek island of Delos, where he was born along with his twin sister, Artemis.
Apollo was quite taken with Cassandra, and he tried to win over her affection by gifting her the gift of prophecy. When she spurned his advances, Apollo's infatuation quickly turned sour, and he made sure that no one would ever believe her predictions were true.
Apollo's Women
Marpessa: daughter of Euenos. Their offspring was Kleopatra, wife of Meleager, although her father may have been Idas. Chione: daughter of Daedalion. Their son was Philammon, sometimes said to be the son of Philonis.
In honor of his lover, Apollo makes a flower spring up from Hyacinthus' blood. Confusingly, this flower isn't actually what we today call a hyacinth. Most sources agree that it was most likely an iris or a larkspur, since the myth tells us that Apollo writes on the flower the sound of his grief (Ai, Ai).
Muses, the nine goddesses of arts, poetry, and song were all his lovers.
Apollo bragged to Cupid that his bow was bigger than Cupid's. Angered by the insult, Cupid shot him with a golden love arrow causing Apollo to fall in love with the first person he saw. Cupid then shot Daphne with a lead-tipped arrow causing her to be impervious to love.
Although Apollo had many love affairs, they were mostly unfortunate: Daphne, in her efforts to escape him, was changed into a laurel, his sacred shrub; Coronis (mother of Asclepius) was shot by Apollo's twin, Artemis, when Coronis proved unfaithful; and Cassandra (daughter of King Priam of Troy) rejected his advances ...
In Greek mythology, Hyacinthus was a Spartan prince of remarkable beauty and a lover of the sun god Apollo.
Falling in love… Literally.
Only when he learns of his special connection to the sun god Apollo does Icarus set his sights on the heavens. Infatuated, he does everything in his power to attract the handsome deity's attention.