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Table of contents
Introduction
The Greek mythology, short introduction
The beginning of Apollo and Artemis
The god Apollo
Lovers and children
Art
The goddess Artemis
Art
Introduction
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dragons of all sorts. Many of these creatures have become almost as well
known as the gods, goddesses and heroes who share their stories3.
The characters, stories, themes and lessons of Greek mythology have
shaped art and literature for thousands of years. They appear in
Renaissance paintings such as Botticellis Birth of Venus and Raphaels
Triumph of Galatea and writings like Dantes Inferno; Romantic poetry and
libretti; and scores of more recent novels, plays and films4.
3 http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/greek-mythology
4 http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/greek-mythology
5 http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/apollo/myths/apollo-artemis-birth/
6 http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Apollo/apollo.html
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the world. For this reason, she was declared as the new goddess of the
childbirth, taking the place of Heras daughter Eilithyia7.
Apollo is the ideal of the kouros, which means he has a beardless, athletic
and youthful appearance. He is also an oracular god as a patron of Delphi
and could predict prophecy through the Delphic Oracle Pythia11.
Like most of his fellow Olympians, Apollo did not hesitate to intervene in
human affairs. It was he who brought about the demise of the mighty
Achilles. Of all the heroes besieging the city of Troy in the Trojan War,
Achilles was the best fighter by far. He had easily defeated the Trojan
captain Hector in single combat. But Apollo helped Hector's brother, Paris
slay Achilles with an arrow. When someone died suddenly, he was said to
have been struck down by one of Apollo's arrows. Homer's epic of the
Trojan War begins with the god causing a plague by raining arrows down
upon the Greek camp12.
As god of music, Apollo is often depicted playing the lyre. He did not
invent this instrument, however, but was given it by Hermes in
compensation for cattle theft. Some say that Apollo did invent the lute,
although he was best known for his skill on the lyre. He won several
musical contests by playing this instrument. In one case he bested Pan,
who competed on his own invention, the shepherd's pipe. On this
occasion, King Midas had the bad sense to say that he preferred Pan's
music, which caused Apollo to turn his ears into those of an ass13.
Apollo was a sun god of great antiquity, yet he is represented as an ever
youthful god, just, wise and of great beauty. He has been the subject of
many great paintings and statues throughout the ages. Apollo was well
loved among the gods. Only his half-brother, Hermes, dared to play a trick
on him when he stole Apollo's cattle14.
Apollo could also be ruthless when he was angered. The mortal Niobe,
boasted to Apollo's mother Leto, that she had fourteen children (in some
versions six or seven), which must make her more superior than Leto, who
had only bore two. Apollo greatly angered by this slew her sons, and
Artemis killed Niobe's daughters. Niobe wept so much that she turned into
a pillar of stone. Apollo was infuriated when the satyr Marsyas challenged
11 http://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/apollo/
12 http://www.mythweb.com/gods/apollo.html
13 http://www.mythweb.com/gods/apollo.html
14 http://www.crystalinks.com/apollo.html
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Apollo to music contest. After winning the competition, Apollo had Marsyas
flayed alive, for being so presumptuous, as to challenge a god15.
Apollo was worshiped throughout the Greek world, at Delphi every four
years they held the Pythian Games in his honor. He had many epithets,
including "Pythian Apollo" (his name at Delphi), "Apollo Apotropaeus"
(Apollo who averts evil), and "Apollo Nymphegetes" (Apollo who looks after
the Nymphs). As the god of shepherds he also had the cult titles "Lukeios"
(from lykos; wolf), protecting the flocks from wolfs, and "Nomius" (of
pastures, belonging to shepherds). Being the god of colonists, Apollo
influenced his priests at Delphi to give divine guidance, as to where the
expedition should proceed. Apollo's title was "Archigetes" (leader of
colonists). According to one legend, it was Apollo who helped either Cretan
or Arcadian colonists found the city of Troy16.
Cassandra was the daughter of Hecuba and Priam, and Troilus' half-sister.
Apollo fell in love with Cassandra and promised her the gift of prophecy to
seduce her, but she rejected him afterwards. Enraged, Apollo indeed gifted
her with the ability to know the future, but with a curse that stated that
she could only see the future tragedies and that no one would ever believe
her18.
By Cyrene, Apollo had a son named Aristaeus, who became the patron god
of cattle, fruit trees, hunting, husbandry and bee-keeping. He was also a
culture-hero and taught humanity dairy skills, the use of nets and traps in
hunting, and how to cultivate olives. Hecuba was the wife of King Priam of
Troy, and Apollo had a son with her named Troilus. An oracle prophesied
that Troy would not be defeated as long as Troilus reached the age of
twenty alive. He was ambushed and killed by Achilleus. Coronis, was
daughter of Phlegyas, King of the Lapiths. Pregnant with Asclepius, the god
of healing, Coronis fell in love with Ischys, son of Elatus. A crow informed
Apollo of the affair. When first informed he disbelieved the crow and
turned all crows black (where they were previously white) as a punishment
for spreading untruths. When he found out the truth he sent his sister,
Artemis, to kill Coronis (in other stories, Apollo himself had killed Coronis).
As a result he also made the crow sacred and gave them the task of
announcing important deaths. Apollo rescued the baby and gave him to
the centaur Chiron to raise19.
Hyacinth or Hyacinthus was one of Apollo's male lovers. He was a Spartan
prince, beautiful and athletic. One day while Apollo and Hyacinthus were
practicing throwing the discus, Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, who
was also attracted to the young prince, and jealous of Apollo's amorous
affection towards the boy, made the discus veer off course by blowing an
ill wind. The discus, which Apollo had thrown, hit Hyacinthus, smashing his
skull. Apollo rushed to him, but he was dead. The god was overcome with
grief, but to immortalize the love he had for the beautiful youth, he had a
flower grow were his blood had stained the earth20. Another male lover
was Cyparissus, a descendant of Heracles. Apollo gave him a tame deer as
a companion but Cyparissus accidentally killed it with a javelin as it lay
asleep in the undergrowth. Cyparissus asked Apollo to let his tears fall
forever. Apollo granted the request by turning him into the Cypress named
18 http://www.crystalinks.com/apollo.html
19 http://www.crystalinks.com/apollo.html
20 http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/apollo.html
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after him, which was said to be a sad tree because the sap forms droplets
like tears on the trunk21.
- Art
In art Apollo is at most times depicted as a handsome young man, clean
shaven and carrying either a lyre, or his bow and arrows. There are many
sculptures of Apollo and one of the most famous is the central figure from
the west pediment of the Temple of Zeus, at Olympia, showing Apollo
declaring victory in favor of the Lapiths in their struggle against the
Centaurs22.
Apollo is a common theme in Greek and Roman art and also in the art of
the Renaissance. The earliest Greek word for a statue is "delight" and the
sculptors tried to create forms which would inspire such guiding vision.
Greek art puts into Apollo the highest degree of power and beauty that
can be imagined. The sculptors derived this from observations on human
beings, but they also embodied in concrete form, issues beyond the reach
of ordinary thought23.
The naked bodies of the statues are associated with the cult of the body
that was essentially a religious activity. The muscular frames and limbs
combined with slim waists indicate the Greek desire for health, and the
physical capacity which was necessary in the hard Greek environment. The
statues of Apollo embody beauty, balance and inspire awe before the
beauty of the world24.
21 http://www.crystalinks.com/apollo.html
22 http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/apollo.html
23 http://www.crystalinks.com/apollo.html
24 http://www.crystalinks.com/apollo.html
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Art
In art, she was typically portrayed with a crescent moon above her head
and her bow and arrows, created by Hephaestus and the Cyclopes. These
arrows, in contrast to her role as goddess of childbirth, were said to be the
cause of women dying in childbirth. Her brother Apollo exhibited
36 http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/artemis.html
37 http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/mythology_of_artemis.htm
38 http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/artemis.html
13
39 http://www.crystalinks.com/artemis.html
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Biography
- http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/greekmythology
- http://www.greek-gods.info/greekgods/apollo/myths/apollo-artemis-birth/
- http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Apollo/apollo.h
tml
- http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/apollo.html
- http://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/apollo/
- http://www.mythweb.com/gods/apollo.html
- http://www.crystalinks.com/apollo.html
- http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/apollo.html
http://www.mythweb.com/gods/artemis.html
http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Artemis/artemi
s.html
http://www.swide.com/art-culture/greek-mythology-10facts-about-hunt-goddess-artemis-including-loves-andfamily/2014/02/17
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/artemis.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/artemis.html
- http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/mythology_of_artemis.htm
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