Apollo was a powerful Greek god and one of the Twelve Olympians. He served as the divine patron of prophecy, healing, art, and culture, as well as the embodiment of masculine beauty.
Apollo belonged to the second generation of Olympians, along with his twin sister Artemis, goddess of the wild and hunting. He was commonly represented as a kouros—that is, as a young, beardless male. In ancient art, he could be seen carrying a lyre or a bow and arrow. He was the son of Zeus, the supreme god of the Greek pantheon, and Leto, a descendant of the Titans. In myth, he and his twin sister Artemis were born on the island of Delos, the only place on earth that would give Leto shelter when Hera, Zeus’ jealous wife, sought to prevent her from giving birth. Apollo rewarded the island by making it one of the centers of his worship. Continue reading from Mythopedia
