Apollo is one of the Olympian gods, son of Zeus and Leto, and twin brother to Artemis. Apollo was born on the island of Delos. At his first taste of ambrosia, he immediately transformed from babe to man.
Apollo had many children; perhaps the most famous are Orpheus, Ion, and Asclepius (to whom he gave his knowledge of healing and medicine).
He is associated with many positive aspects of the human condition such as music, poetry and medicine. Apollo is most frequently described by Homer and Hesiod as the ‘far-shooter’, the ‘far-worker’, the ‘rouser of armies’, and ‘Phoebus Apollo’.
Apollo appears frequently in all media of ancient Greek art, most often as a beautiful, beardless youth. He is easily identified with either a Kithara or a lyre, a bronze tripod (signifying his oracle at Delphi), a deer (which he often fights over with Herakles), and a bow and quiver. He is also, on occasion, portrayed riding a chariot pulled by lions or swans.
Examples
References
- Apollo at the Ancient History Encyclopedia (Retrieved on October 21, 2017)