The Twelve of God — Apollo

Apollo is the Greek god of music, poetry, light, prophecy, and medicine. He is one of the Twelve Olympian gods who live on Mount Olympus. Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, is his twin sister. He was the patron god of the city of Delphi.

How was Apollo usually pictured?

Apollo was pictured as a handsome athletic youth with curly hair. He usually had a laurel wreath about his head that he wore in honor of his love for Daphne. Sometimes he was shown holding a bow and arrow or a lyre. When traveling, Apollo rode a chariot pulled by swans.

What special powers and skills did he have?

Like all the Olympian gods, Apollo was an immortal and powerful god. He had many special powers including the ability to see into the future and power over light. He could also heal people or bring illness and disease. When in battle, Apollo was deadly with the bow and arrow.

The Trojan War

During the Trojan War, Apollo fought on the side of Troy. At one point, he sent diseased arrows into the Greek camp making many of the Greek soldiers sick and weak. Later, after the Greek hero Achilles defeated the Trojan Hector, Apollo guided the arrow that struck Achilles in the heel and killed him.

Daphne and the Laurel Tree

One day Apollo insulted Eros, the god of love. Eros decided to get his revenge by shooting Apollo with a golden arrow causing him to fall in love with the nymph Daphne. At the same time, Eros shot Daphne with a lead arrow to cause her to reject Apollo. As Apollo chased Daphne through the woods, she called out to her father to save her. Her father then changed her into a laurel tree. From that day forward, the laurel tree became sacred to Apollo.