In Roman mythology, Apollo was the son of the highest deity Jupiter.Apollo was a god even in Greek mythology. He is said to have communicated with mortals via oracles and priests to convey prophecies and messages from his father.The Greek god, Apollo, was considered to be the god of the Sun, music, light, and prophecy. There are more names associated with this Greek god. Apollo was also one of the most feared among all the Greek and Roman mythological gods. In Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of Zeus. He was also a member of the 12 Olympians who were at the highest positions and Dii Consentes. In both Greek and Roman mythologies, Apollo was seen as living on Mount Olympus with several other gods and goddesses.Once you have finished reading this article, you might also be interested discovering some more Ancient Roman art facts and ancient Roman clothes facts here at Kidadl.Festivals Honoring ApolloApollo was a god that had many functions. Due to this and the gentle, brave, and protective image created by the mythologies, Apollo was also one of the most worshipped Greek gods. There were numerous festivals celebrated by mortals to honor Apollo.One such festival was the Pythian Games which was also considered to be the chief festival of Apollo. This festival was celebrated every four years in Delphi in Ancient Greece. Although the main games were played in Delphi, there were smaller versions too, which were played in The Levant and other Greek cities. The games were initially musical contests, however, later, art, sports, and dance games were added to the festival. The reason for celebrating this festival was the slaying of the serpent called Python by Apollo in Delphi.Another festival held in honor of Apollo was Pyanopsia. This festival was part of the Ancient Greek religion and was celebrated in Athens on the seventh day of October (also known as Pyanopsion).Other festivals celebrating or worshipping Apollo included Delia hosted in Delos every four years, Thargelia, Boedromia, Carneia, Hyacinthia, and Daphnephoria.Apollo In The ArtsOut of all the Greek gods, Apollo was the one who was considered to be the most beautiful and handsome. The sun god is generally pictured as a young beardless man with an athletic body and curly hair. Due to his handsome features and many roles, Apollo was often the muse of many art pieces.This very image of a handsome young man was created by the art of Ancient Rome and Greece. He is also a common feature of art in the Renaissance period. Statues sculpted of Apollo are often nude like those of many other gods and goddesses. This is associated with the cult of the body and was considered a religious activity.Art forms, mostly sculptures, portray the youthful image of the god. He is often displayed as carrying a lyre or bow in his hand in these art forms. He is also seen as wearing a laurel on his head. All these additional items on Apollo are actually his symbols that portray some important aspect of the life of the god of the Sun.Attributes And SymbolsApollo’s role of being a god of many things and his helping nature towards the mortals of Ancient Greece, has lauded the Sun god with many symbols and attributes.The bow and arrow that is most commonly seen accompanying this Greek god is a symbolization of Apollo defeating Python in Delphi. According to Greek mythology, Python was the serpent sent after his mother, Leto, by Hera, a Greek goddess and sister-wife of Zeus. The king of the Greek gods, Zeus, was known for having several affairs with both mortals and immortals. One such affair was between Zeus and Leto, and when Hera came to know about it, she made it extremely difficult for Leto to give birth to her children by sending the serpent and cursing Leto not to give birth on the ground. She gave birth to Apollo and his twin sister Artemis on a floating island.Upon his birth, it is said that Apollo kept asking for a lyre. Hermes made a golden lyre for Apollo, which can be seen with the god in many art forms. The lyre also symbolizes the fact that Apollo was the head or the leader of the Muses, Greek goddesses of music. Apollo used this lyre to play tunes that mesmerized and healed any pain.Apollo once also became a dolphin to guide a Cretan ship to Delphi when it was caught in a storm. Wolf, dolphin, python, mouse, and swan are some of the sacred animals associated with Apollo. The Laurel tree is also known as Apollo’s tree as it is related to the story of Daphne being turned by her father into a laurel tree as she was escaping from Apollo’s love pursuit.Meanwhile, the flower Hyacinth was created by Apollo from the blood of his lover Hyacinthus, a Spartan prince who was killed while they were playing with a discus. Some of these symbols and attributes of Apollo are still seen to be important today.Apollo And The Roman State ReligionApollo is also popularly known as the god of prophecy. He delivered Zeus’ words to his oracle, who would then convey them to mortals. One of this Greek god’s most popular oracles was at the Delphi temple.The oracle at Delphi is an important oracle of Apollo that received many significant and meaningful prophecies from the Greek god. Moreover, Apollo is also the patron god of Delphi. The Greek god was also known for helping mortals and warding away evil. While his twin sister Artemis was known as the goddess of the Moon and hunting, Apollo was known as the god of daylight and healing.The god of the Sun was one of the gods in both the Greek world and Roman religion that was highly revered and worshipped.Post-Classical Art And LiteratureAncient Greeks portrayed Apollo focusing on his roles of giving prophecies to the oracle, being a healer, and a warrior. The post-classical art and literature mostly depicted the elegant and graceful side of his personality that was evoked from his title as the god of music, poetry, and dance.‘Hymn Of Apollo’ was a poem written by the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley during the Romantic Age of English Literature.A Canadian band called Rush in 1978 released their album with songs containing the roles of Apollo as the bringer of wisdom and Dionysus as the bringer of love.One of the most famous representations of Greek mythology and Apollo is the book series called ‘Trials Of Apollo’, written by Rick Riordan in 2016. Moreover, the mythical figure of Apollo has also been featured in movies and video games.Interestingly in the late 20th century, NASA named the program for the orbiting and landing of astronauts on the moon as Apollo.In the fields of psychology and philosophy, the disposition of Apollo as a god and warrior is used to define certain theories that experts in this field have discovered and theorized. For instance, Carl Jung, a psychologist, named a theory Apollo’s Archetype, which displays the human tendency of emotional detachment and over intellectualization.Did You Know…One of the many Apollo facts is that there is a story that portrays the scene where Apollo changed the ears of King Midas to ass ears when he chose a satyr over him in a music contest.Apollo also played a very crucial role in the Trojan War that took place in the city of Troy, Greece. It is known that Apollo sided with the Trojans in the Trojan War. Firstly, it was because he was angered by the Greeks kidnapping the daughter of Apollo’s priest. He plagued the Greek encampment until they returned her. Later, during the war, it is also said that Apollo actually helped direct the arrow to correctly aim at Achilles’ heel, who was a celebrated Greek hero and a demigod.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Apollo Roman god facts, then why not take a look at Ancient Roman baths facts or the Roman pantheon.
In Roman mythology, Apollo was the son of the highest deity Jupiter.
