The beautiful myths of ancient Greece and its pagan religion had a huge impact on the development of world culture. Among the twelve immortal deities sitting on Olympus, one of the most revered and beloved among people was and remains the god Apollo. Majestic temples were erected in his honor and sculptures were created. It seemed to embody all the immortal beauty that reigns in music and poetry. The sun-like golden-haired deity to this day is for us the personification of youth, intelligence, talent and grace.
Apollo - god of the Sun
The top of the Greek pantheon belongs to the mighty and thunderous Zeus, but the second after him is Apollo - his beloved son. The ancient Greeks considered him the god of the Sun and the arts, among which the main role was occupied by music. The sun-like youth also patronized divination and the art of archery. He was both a legislator and a punisher, a defender of shepherds and legal orders. The patron saint of medicine, Apollo at the same time could send diseases. In Roman mythology, as in Greek, this god was called Apollo, but also Phoebus, which meant "shining", "bright","pure".
Apollo - the god of Greece - most often depicted as a walking or standing beardless beautiful young man with golden hair fluttering in the wind and crowned with a noble laurel. In his hands he holds his invariable attributes - a lyre and a bow, his figure is strong and courageous. The symbol of Apollo is the Sun.
Birth of a beautiful god
According to the myths, the god Apollo was the son of Zeus and the titanides Leto (she was the daughter of a titan). Before the future god was born, Leto had to wander for a long time to hide from the wrath of the goddess Hera, the lawful wife of Zeus. Apollo's mother could not find shelter anywhere. And only when it was time to give birth, she was sheltered by the deserted island of Delos. The painful birth continued for nine long days and nights. Vengeful Hera did not allow Ilithyia - the goddess of childbirth - to help Leto.
At last the divine baby was born. It happened on the seventh day of the month, under a palm tree. That is why the seven later became a sacred number, and in ancient times many pilgrims aspired to the ancient palm tree that grew on Delos, arriving there to bow to the birthplace of Apollo.
Apollo and Artemis
But the ancient Greek god Apollo was not born alone, but with a twin sister - Artemis, who is known to us as the goddess of the hunt. Brother and sister were skilled archers. The bow and arrows of Apollo are made of gold, while the weapons of Artemis are silver. The girl was born earlier. And, as Homer writes, it was she who subsequently taughthis brother archery.
Both twins always hit the target without a miss, death from their arrows was easy and painless. The brother and sister had an amazing ability to disappear from sight without a trace (the girl dissolved among the forest trees, and the young man retired to Hyperborea). Both were honored for their special purity.
Unhappy love
It sounds strange, but the radiant god Apollo was not happy in love. Although he is partly to blame for this himself. There was no need to laugh at Eros, saying that he lacks accuracy when shooting from a bow. In retaliation for the mocker Apollo, the god of love struck the heart with a golden arrow, Eros fired another arrow (disgusting love) into the heart of the nymph Daphne.
Apollo, intoxicated by his love, began to pursue the girl, but Daphne rushed in horror to the river god - her father. And he turned his daughter into a laurel tree. Even after that, the love of the inconsolable young man did not pass. From now on, the laurel became his sacred tree, and a wreath woven from its leaves adorned the god's head forever.
Apollo's love misadventures didn't end there. Once he was captivated by the beautiful Cassandra - the daughter of Priam (King of Troy) and Hecuba. Apollo gave the girl the gift of divination, but took her word that in return she would give him her love. Cassandra deceived God, and he took revenge on her, making people do not believe in her predictions, considering the prophetess insane. An unfortunate girl during the Trojan War struggled to warn the people of Troyabout the danger that threatens them, but they did not believe her. And Troy was captured by the enemy.
Son of Apollo
The holy god of medicine Asclepius (Aesculapius in the Roman version) revered by people is considered the son of Apollo. Born a mortal, he later received the gift of immortality for his unsurpassed ability to heal people. Asclepius was brought up by the wise centaur Chiron, it was he who taught him healing. But very soon the student surpassed his mentor.
The son of Apollo was such a talented doctor that he could even resurrect dead people. The gods were angry with him for this. After all, resurrecting mortals, Asclepius violated the law established by the gods of Olympus. Zeus struck him with his lightning. The Greek god Apollo paid off for the death of his son by killing the Cyclopes, who, according to legend, forged thunderbolts (thunder and lightning that Zeus threw). However, Asclepius was pardoned and returned from the kingdom of the dead by the will of the moira (goddess of fate). He was granted immortality and the title of the god of healing and medicine.
Musician God
Apollo - the god of the Sun - is always associated with these string attributes: bow and lyre. One of them allows him to skillfully shoot arrows at the target, the other allows him to create beautiful music. Interestingly, the Greeks believed that there was a relationship between these two arts. After all, in both cases there is a flight to some goal. The song also flies straight to people's hearts and souls, like an arrow to a target.
Apollo's music is pure and clear, just like himself. This master of melodies appreciates the transparency of sound and the purity of notes. His musical artlifts the human spirit, gives people spiritual insight and is the exact opposite of the music of Dionysus, which carries ecstasy, violence and passion.
On Mount Parnassus
According to legend, when spring comes to earth, the Greek god Apollo goes to Mount Parnassus, next to which the Kastalsky spring murmurs. There he dances with the eternally young muses - the daughters of Zeus: Thalia, Melpomene, Euterpe, Erato, Clio, Terpsichore, Urania, Calliope and Polyhymnia. They are all patrons of various arts.
God Apollo and the Muses together make up a divine ensemble in which the girls sing, and he accompanies them by playing his golden lyre. In those moments when their choir is heard, nature falls silent to enjoy the divine sounds. Zeus himself at this time becomes meek, and the lightning in his hands fades away, and the bloody god Ares forgets about the war. Peace and tranquility then reign on Olympus.
Foundation of the Delphic Oracle
When the god Apollo was still in the womb, his mother, on the orders of Hera, was pursued everywhere by the ferocious dragon Python. And so, when the young god was born, he soon wanted to avenge all the torment that befell Leto. Apollo found a gloomy gorge in the vicinity of Delphi - the abode of Python. And at his call the dragon appeared. His appearance was terrible: a huge scaly body twisted in countless rings between the rocks. The whole earth trembled from his heavy tread, and the mountains collapsed into the sea. All living things ran away in horror.
When Python opened his fire-breathing mouth,it seemed that a moment more, and he would swallow Apollo. But the next moment there was a ringing of golden arrows that pierced the body of the monster, and the dragon fell defeated. In honor of his victory over Python, Apollo founded an oracle in Delphi so that the will of Zeus would be announced to people.
But, although Apollo is considered the god of predictions and prophecies, he personally never did this. The Pythia priestess gave answers to numerous questions of people. Coming into a state of frenzy, she began to loudly shout out incoherent words, which were immediately recorded by the priests. They also interpreted the predictions of the Pythia and passed them on to those who asked.
Atonement
After the god Apollo shed the blood of Python, by the decision of Zeus, he had to be cleansed of this sin and atone for it. The young man was exiled to Thessaly, whose king at that time was Admet. Apollo had to become a shepherd in order to achieve redemption through simple hard work. He humbly shepherded the royal flocks and sometimes, right in the middle of the pasture, he amused himself by playing a simple reed flute.
His music was so wonderful that even wild animals came out of the forest to listen to it. When Apollo - the god of ancient Greece - played music, ferocious lions and predatory panthers walked peacefully among his herds, along with deer and chamois. Joy and peace reigned all around. Prosperity settled in the house of King Admet. His horses and gardens became the best in Thessaly. Apollo Admetus also helped in love. He endowed the king with great power, thanks to which he was able to harness a lion to the chariot. This condition wasset by the father of Admet's beloved - Alkesta. Apollo served as a shepherd for eight years. Having completely atoned for his sin, he returned to Delphi.
Delphic Temple
Apollo is the god of ancient Greece, who, like other revered Olympian deities, was immortalized. And not only in marble statues and legends. In his honor, the Greeks erected numerous temples. It is believed that the very first temple dedicated to the sun god was built in Delphi, at the foot of the Oracle. Tradition says that it was entirely built from the branches of a laurel tree. Of course, a building made of such a fragile material could not stand for long, and soon a new religious building appeared on this site.
What number is the temple of Apollo in Delphi, the ruins of which have survived to our time, is now difficult to say, but even today it is clear how magnificent this Delphic temple once was. Art historians say that an inscription was carved above the entrance to the sanctuary with the two main commandments of God, which read: "Know thyself" and "Know the measure".
The most famous god statue
Apollo is an ancient god who inspired many artists and sculptors to create beautiful works of art. In the world there are many of his sculptural images. But the most perfect statue, which depicts the appearance of one of the most revered Greek gods, is the Apollo Belvedere marble sculpture. This statue is a copy taken by an unknown Roman master from a bronzeancient Greek sculpture of Leohar, who served at the court of Alexander the Great. The original, unfortunately, has not been preserved.
A marble copy was found in the villa of Emperor Nero. The exact date of discovery is unknown, it happened approximately between 1484 and 1492. In 1506, a priceless work of art was brought to the Vatican and installed in the Belvedere Garden. What is he, the god Apollo? Pictures and photographs, alas, can only give a general idea of how the ancient Greeks saw it. But one thing is certain: Apollo, even in our time, can be considered a symbol of male beauty.
