Apollo
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This article is about the Greek and Roman god. For other uses, see Apollo (disambiguation).
| Apollo | |
|---|---|
2nd century AD Roman statue of Apollo depicting the god's attributes—the lyre and the snake Python | |
| God of music, poetry, plague, oracles, sun, medicine, light and knowledge | |
| Abode | Mount Olympus |
| Symbol | Lyre, laurel wreath, python, raven, bow and arrows |
| Parents | Zeus and Leto |
| Siblings | Artemis |
| Children | Asclepius, Troilus, Aristaeus, Orpheus |
| Roman equivalent | Apollo |
| Ancient Greek Religion | |
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| | |
| Ancient Roman religion |
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| Practices and beliefs Imperial cult · festivals · ludimystery religions · funerals temples · auspice · sacrifice votum · libation · lectisternium |
| Priesthoods College of Pontiffs · AugurVestal Virgins · Flamen · Fetial Epulones · Arval Brethren Quindecimviri sacris faciundis |
| Jupiter · Juno · Neptune · Minerva Mars · Venus · Apollo · Diana Vulcan · Vesta · Mercury · Ceres |
| Other deities Janus · Quirinus · Saturn ·Hercules · Faunus · Priapus Bacchus (Liber) · Bona Dea · Ops Castor and Pollux · Cupid Chthonic deities: Proserpina · Dis Pater · Pluto · Orcus · Hecate · Di Manes Domestic and local deities: Lares · Di Penates · Genius Hellenistic deities: Sol Invictus · Magna Mater · Isis · Mithras Deified emperors: Divus Julius · Divus Augustus See also List of Roman deities |
| Related topics Roman mythologyGlossary of ancient Roman religion Religion in ancient Greece Etruscan religion Gallo-Roman religion Decline of Hellenistic polytheism |
As the patron of Delphi (Pythian Apollo), Apollo was an oracular god—the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. Medicine and healing were associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son Asclepius, yet Apollo was also seen as a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague. Amongst the god's custodial charges, Apollo became associated with dominion over colonists, and as the patron defender of herds and flocks. As the leader of the Muses (Apollon Musagetes) and director of their choir, Apollo functioned as the patron god of music and poetry. Hermes created the lyre for him, and the instrument became a common attribute of Apollo. Hymns sung to Apollo were called paeans.
In Hellenistic times, especially during the third century BCE, as Apollo Helios he became identified among Greeks with Helios, Titan god of the sun, and his sister Artemis similarly equated with Selene, Titan goddess of the moon.[1] In Latin texts, on the other hand, Joseph Fontenrose declared himself unable to find any conflation of Apollo with Sol among the Augustan poets of the first century, not even in the conjurations of Aeneas and Latinus in Aeneid XII (161–215).[2] Apollo and Helios/Sol remained separate beings in literary and mythological texts until the third century CE.
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Name
The etymology of Apollo is uncertain. The spelling Ἀπόλλων had almost superseded all other forms by the beginning of the common era, but the Doric form Απέλλων is more archaic, derived from an earlier *Απέλjων. The name is certainly cognate with the Doric month name Απέλλαιος and the Doric festival απελλαι.[3]Several instances of popular etymology are attested from ancient authors. Thus, the Greeks most often associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb απολλυμι (apollymi), "to destroy".[4] Plato in Cratylus connects the name with ἀπόλυσις (apolysis), "redeem", with ἀπόλουσις (apolousis), "purification", and with ἁπλοῦν (aploun), "simple",[5] in particular in reference to the Thessalian form of the name, Ἄπλουν, and finally with Ἀει-βάλλων (aeiballon), "ever-shooting". Hesychius connects the name Apollo with the Doric απελλα (apella), which means "assembly", so that Apollo would be the god of political life, and he also gives the explanation σηκος (sekos), "fold", in which case Apollo would be the god of flocks and herds.
Following the tradition of these Ancient Greek folk etymologies, in the Doric dialect the word απέλλα originally meant wall, fence from animals and later assembly within the agora. In the Macedonian dialect πέλλα (pella) means stone, and some toponyms are derived from this word: Πέλλα,(Pella),Πελλήνη,(Pellini).
The form Apaliunas (]x-ap-pa-li-u-na-aš) is attested as a god of Wilusa in a treaty between Alaksandu of Wilusa interpreted as "Alexander of Ilios",[6] and the Hittite great king Muwatalli II ca 1280 BCE.[7] The Hittite testimony reflects an early form *Apeljōn, which may also be surmised from comparison of Cypriot Απειλων with Doric Απελλων.[8]
A number of non-Greek etymologies have been suggested for the name,[9] among them a Hurrian and Hittite divinity, Aplu, who was widely invoked during the "plague years". Aplu, it is suggested, comes from the Akkadian Aplu Enlil, meaning "the son of Enlil", a title that was given to the god Nergal, who was linked to Shamash, Babylonian god of the sun.[10] A Luwian etymology suggested for Apaliunas makes Apollo "The One of Entrapment", perhaps in the sense of "Hunter".[11]