Apollon

Apollon and his sister Artemis are the immortal children of Zeus and Leto. Zeus is considered to be the father of the gods even though he was born several generations after the Immortal race was spawned by Chaos. Zeus and Leto were both children of Titans ... Leto's parents were Koios (Coeus) and Phoibe (Phoebe) ... Zeus's parents were Kronos (Cronos) and Rheia (Rhea).

Leto was the consort of Zeus ... his sister/wife Hera was not pleased when she became aware that Leto was pregnant with twins. When it came time for her children to be born, Leto traveled far and wide to find a suitable birthplace. The Nymphs of the various islands and provinces were reluctant to allow their domains to be the home of Leto's twins because they knew that Hera was angry at Zeus for his association with Leto and the Nymphs were justifiably afraid that Hera would vent her wrath on any Immortal who assisted Leto.

The goddess Delos had a rocky island in the southern Aegean Sea which Leto thought would be the perfect birthplace for Apollon. Delos was aware of the dangers she faced by helping Leto but she also knew that Leto's children would be honored by mortal and immortal alike. To protect herself, Delos made Leto swear a great oath on the river Styx that her new son would never abandon his birthplace and that he would always keep his temple on the humble island. Leto swore the oath and Apollon was soon to be born on the island of Delos.

Leto was in labor for nine days and nights before Apollon was born. His birth was attended by the goddesses Rheia (Rhea), Dione, Themis and Aphrodite (goddess of Love). Apollon was born on the seventh day of the month and that day is considered to be holy. He did not nurse at his mother's breast because he was given ambrosia and nectar which are the food and drink of the Immortals. He burst from his crib and announced his intentions to play the lyre, carry the curved bow and declare the unfailing will of Zeus to the mortals of the earth.

The island of Delos became rich and beautiful with the presence of Apollon and Leto ... the mountains bloomed with flowers and people came from all regions to make generous donations to the Shrine of Apollon. Games and dancing inspired the worshipers but the handmaidens of Apollon were the most amazing attraction on the island ... they had the ability to sing in such a way that each person heard them in his or her native tongue.

Apollon has become known by many names ... the Greeks called him Apollon, Phoibos (Phoebus), Phoibos Apollon, the Archer, the Far-Shooter, Shooter from Afar, Lord of the Silver Bow and the Far-Darter but ironically, he is most remembered by his Roman name, Apollo. We must remember that Rome was not founded until a thousand years after the Trojan War so it does seem suitable that this ancient and immortal god should be known by any name except his real name which is Apollon.

Although she was not born on Delos, Apollon's sister Artemis is considered to be his twin ... she is skillful with her silver bow and aids the people of the earth by giving comfort to the weak and unfortunate. Artemis is often called the Virgin Goddess of the Hunt or simply Goddess of the Hunt.

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Apollon at Delphi

Apollon sought to establish a shrine of prophecy and conceived a plan whereby he could build and populate a new city. Apollon did not make a hasty decision as to where his temple would be built ... he traveled the whole of Greece and Asia Minor seeking the perfect location. The place he chose was Delphi, located at the foot of Mount Parnassos (Mount Parnassus) in central southern Greece just north of the Gulf of Corinth in the district of Phokis (Phocis).

The site was inhabited by the streams of Telphousa (Telphusa) and the snake-creature, Pytho ... neither wanted a city or a god as their neighbor. Telphousa tried to beguile Apollon but he eventually saw through her manipulation. The creature Pytho was known to be deadly to anyone who came near her ... Apollon shot her with an arrow and exalted over her as she lay dieing in the holy light of Helios (the Sun). From that time on, Apollon became known as The Pythian because Helios made the creature rot away. Apollon then turned his attention to Telphousa ... she had tried to mesmerize him and he punished her by causing a rockslide to cover her waters ... in the grove where she once flowed Apollon is worshiped as The Telphousian Lord signifying his domination over her.

The site of the temple had been chosen and secured ... the foundations had been laid ... now Apollon needed ministers to supervise the sacrifices and administer the temple. As he pondered this problem he became aware of a ship on the sea ... the men on the ship appeared to be goodly men from the island of Crete and Apollon at once decided that they would serve him well. In the form of a dolphin, Apollon approached the ship and leapt onto the deck ... the men on the ship were perplexed but were unable to remove the disguised god from the vessel. Apollon took control of the ship and steered it to the proximity of Delphi and ran it aground on the shore. Apollon transformed from a dolphin into a flaming star and flew from the ship to his temple at Delphi ... the sky lit up and the people in the surrounding countryside were terrified.

Apollon returned to the beached ship in the guise of a young man ... the men on the ship knew that the young man who stood before them was a god and they begged for mercy and understanding. Apollon told them his true identity and that he had brought them to that place so that they might become his ministers and serve him at his temple. The men willingly accepted his commands and went to the temple ... Apollon promised them that they would want for nothing as long as they were not idle or disobedient ... he would put the will of Zeus in their hearts so that they could advise the worshipers and the worshipers would provide the necessities of life for those who served him on the rocky folds of Mount Parnassos.

Apollon's temple at Delphi quickly became famous for the prophecies which were recited by the Pythia, i.e. the priestess/medium. Apollon would speak through the Pythia and make the will of Zeus known to worthy patrons. The Pythia would traditionally give the prophesies of the god in hexameter poetry ... the verses recited by the Pythia would usually be enigmatic, i.e. they were mysterious but not necessarily unfathomable.

The exact date of the prehistoric founding of the Oracle at Delphi is not known but references to the Oracle go back to well before the Trojan War (1250 BCE).

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Apollon and Hermes

The lives of Apollon and the schemer, Hermes, became intertwined almost immediately after Hermes's birth. Hungry for adventure, Hermes left his mother's cave and began to roam the countryside. He reached the mountains of Pieria and found the sacred grove of Apollon ... he stole fifty cattle from Apollon's herd. The clever Hermes disguised his footprints and made the cattle walk backwards so that it would look as if a they were coming instead of going.

At dawn of the next day Apollon began searching for his stolen cattle. He soon deduced that his cattle had been stolen by Hermes. Apollon went swiftly to Mount Kyllene and confronted the infant Hermes and said that he would cast him down into Tartaros (Tartarus) if he did not return the stolen cattle. Hermes found it easy to lie and declared that he knew nothing of the cattle. Apollon was not fooled and took Hermes from his crib and went to Mount Olympos (Olympus) to stand before Zeus so that Hermes could be judged.

Apollon

Zeus listened to Apollon's truthful account of the theft of the cattle but Hermes pretended innocence and said that he was only born yesterday and too young to know the ways of deceit and falsehood. Zeus laughed at the child's roguishness and commanded Hermes to take Apollon to the cattle. Hermes obeyed without hesitation and soon he and Apollon were at the place where the cattle had been hidden. Apollon was amazed that a mere infant had been able to kill two of the cattle and stretch their hides to dry in the sun. Hermes began to play the lyre he had invented and again Apollon was amazed. Apollon said that he had danced and sang with the Muses but had never heard such beautiful music or seen such a masterful musician. He promised Hermes many gifts and assured him a place of renown amongst the Immortals. Hermes accepted the blessings of Apollon and gave him the lyre as a token of his affection. With the blessing of Zeus, Apollon pronounced that Hermes would become the lord over lions, boars, dogs and all animal herds on the face of the earth. Apollon also made Hermes the messenger of Hades (lord of the Underworld) but he would not give Hermes the gift of prophecy because that gift was his alone and only he was allowed to know the will of Zeus. As a minor concession, Apollon told Hermes that there were three virgin goddesses who lived under the folds of Mount Parnassos who would flitter about and feed on yellow honey. After they had eaten the honey, they would only speak the truth and if Hermes questioned them carefully he would learn many things. He would then have the power to impart these truths to men of his choosing for their benefit. Apollon also gave Hermes a beautiful golden staff with three branches to represent wealth and affluence. The staff would protect the young god against harm and enforce the laws of righteous words and actions.

When Apollon leaves his shrine in Pytho and travels to Mount Olympos, the other gods and goddesses gather to hear the beautiful music he plays on the lyre which Hermes gave him ... he sings with the Muses of the unending gifts the Immortals enjoy and the mortal plight of the people who must endure the pains of illness and the failings of old age. Hebe (goddess of Youth), the Graces, the Seasons, Harmonia and Aphrodite join hands and dance ... the goddess Artemis, tall and enviable, sings to her brother's irresistible melodies.

When Hermes and Apollon saw how Hephaistos (Hephaestus) had trapped his wife Aphrodite (goddess of Love) and her secret lover, Ares (the god of War), in the embrace of love and displayed them for all the Immortals to see, Apollon asked Hermes how he would feel if he were trapped in such an embarrassing position. The light hearted Hermes replied that he would suffer thrice the bindings if only he could share the bed of Aphrodite the golden.

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Apollon and Asklepios

Asklepios (Asclepius) was the son of Apollon and a mortal woman named, Koronis (Coronis).

Asklepios was the greatest healer in the ancient world and the father of two Greek soldiers and healers who fought in the Trojan War: Machaon and Podaleirios.

His reputation was so widespread that he was revered as the god of medicine and healing. Several shrines were established in honor of Asklepios including one at Athens and another at the city of Epidauros. Patients would sleep in the temple of Asklepios and they would either be cured during the night or they would have dreams which would indicate the correct treatment for their ailments. Some people were healed with calming incantations, some were given potions and others were cured with surgery.

Koronis lived in Lakereia on the banks of Lake Boibias in Thessaly. Apollon took her as his lover and she became pregnant. Koronis thought she could deceive Apollon and have an illicit affair with a man named Ischys without Apollon's knowledge but, even though Apollon was at his shrine at Pytho, his all-seeing abilities allowed him to perceive the young woman's impious behavior. Before the goddess of childbirth, Eileithyia, could bring Koronis to term, Apollon's sister, Artemis, killed the pregnant woman with a shower of golden arrows while she slept. Koronis was not the only one to die in the hail of arrows. Many of Koronis's neighbors were also killed in the conflagration. When Koronis's relatives placed her on the funeral pyre and lit the flames, Apollon could not endure to have his offspring killed for the mother's irreverent deeds. Apollon swooped down to the pyre, parted the flames, and rescued Asklepios from his dead mother's body and entrusted the infant to the Centaur, Cheiron (Chiron), so that he might learn the art of healing.

Asklepios became a man of great renown and pilgrims came from all over Greece to find cures for their ailments and wounds. But Asklepios became too enamored with his own abilities and finally committed an act of selfishness which angered Zeus beyond redemption. Instead of continuing to use his god-given abilities with gracious humility, Asklepios accepted gold as a payment for restoring a dead man to life. Zeus struck down Asklepios and the man he had resurrected with a flash of lightning and thus ended the life of the greatest healer of the ancient Greek world.

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Apollon and Niobe

Apollon's mother Leto was insulted by a woman named Niobe who had once been her friend. Niobe likened herself to Leto and bragged that she had twelve children and Leto only had two. To avenge the insult against their mother, Apollon killed Niobe's six sons and Artemis killed her six daughters.

Apollon and Niobe

Apollon and Artemis killing the children of Niobe.

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Apollon and Herakles

Herakles (Heracles) encountered Apollon and Artemis while he was completing his Third Labor, the capturing of the Keryneian Hind. At the command of his cousin Eurystheus, Herakles was required to capture a deer with golden horns and return the sacred beast to Mycenae. The Keryneian Hind was sacred to Artemis and was named after a Peloponnesian river. Herakles spent a year searching for the elusive deer before he was able to capture it.

While returning the hind to Eurystheus, Herakles encountered Apollon and Artemis. They demanded the return of the sacred creature but Herakles successfully argued the justice of his quest and was allowed to complete his Labor with the blessings of Apollon and Artemis.

Artemis, Herakles and Apollon

Artemis, Herakles and Apollon with the Keryneian Hind.

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Apollon at Troy

Apollon played a significant role in the Trojan War. He was clearly on the side of the Trojans and aided Prince Hector in many ways. In the tenth year of the war, Apollon came to the defense of one of his priests and nearly destroyed the Achaean (Achaian) Greek encampment.

The Greeks would regularly go on raids to pillage the nearby cities and islands to maintain their supplies of food and slaves. When they raided the island of Lemnos, they took a young girl named Chryseis as a slave. Chryseis was awarded to the Greek commander, Agamemnon. The Greeks did not realize that Chryseis was the daughter of Apollon's priest, Chryses. When Chryses went to Agamemnon to beg for the return of his daughter, he was treated with insulting disrespect. Agamemnon went so far as to threaten to beat Chryses for daring to ask for his daughter.

Chryses prayed to Apollon for justice and his prayers were heard. Apollon stood offshore and rained arrows on the Greek encampment. Agamemnon called an assembly of the Greek commanders and soldiers because he did not understand why their camp was under attack by one of the Immortals. The seer Kalchas (Calchas) knew the answer and told Agamemnon that if the young girl was not returned to her father, Apollon would utterly destroy them. Agamemnon believed Kalchas and made immediate arrangements for the girl to be returned to her father accompanied by elaborate sacrifices to Apollon. Odysseus was assigned the task of returning the girl and supervising the sacrifice. Apollon was pleased and gave Odysseus a favorable wind so that he could sail swiftly from Lemnos to Troy.

Another Trojan who received the protection of Apollon was Aineias (Aeneas). Aineias was the son of Aphrodite and with Apollon and Aphrodite both protecting him it is no wonder that he was one of the few Trojan allies to survive the war. When the Greek soldier Diomedes attacked Aineias, Apollon stepped in and stood between Aineias and Diomedes. With incredible bravado, Diomedes tried to charge past Apollon and attack Aineias. Apollon brushed Diomedes aside and warned him to retreat. Demonstrating more sense than bravado, Diomedes backed away from Aineias.

The goddess Athene (Athena) was on the side of the Greeks but that did not stop her from cooperating with Apollon to stop the continued bloodshed. The two Immortals devised a plan where Prince Hector would be allowed to fight one of the Greeks in one-on-one combat. The winner of the fight would decided the fate of the war. Hector was delighted with the idea and promised to strip the armor from whichever Greek soldier he defeated and dedicate it at the Temple of Apollon inside the walls of Troy. Since Achilles was not willing to help the Greeks because of his dispute with Agamemnon, Telamonian Aias (Ajax) was chosen to fight Hector. Apollon and Athene took the forms of vultures and perched in an oak tree to watch the fight. Aias was a powerful man and soon beat Hector to the ground. Hector was wounded severely before Apollon swooped down to save him. After removing Hector from the battlefield, Apollon took up the shield of Zeus and drove the Greeks back to their encampment. Hector was seriously wounded and at the brink of death when Apollon breathed life back into his body.

When Hector was revived and ready to return to the fighting, Apollon shrouded himself in a mist and marched in front of Hector until they reached the fence and ditch the Greeks had built to protect their ships. With Apollon brushing aside the Greek defenses, the protective wall was breached. The situation was becoming critical for the Greeks but Achilles would still not fight because of his argument with Agamemnon. Achilles's companion Patroklos (Patroclus) donned Achilles's armor and charged into the Trojans. The Greeks thought Achilles was back in the fighting and regained their courage ... the Trojans also thought Achilles was back in the fighting and began to retreat.

Apollon gave what protection he could to the retreating Trojans but the appearance of Patroklos in Achilles's armor was devastating to the Trojan moral. Apollon stood before Patroklos and warned him to withdraw and told him that it was not his destiny to breach the walls of Troy. Patroklos ignored the warning ... he was obsessed with his own prowess and did not realize that he was on a headlong charge towards death. Apollon went to Hector in the guise of a man named Asios (Asius) and encouraged Hector to fight Patroklos ... Apollon put valor in Hector's breast and urged him forward. When Patroklos finally confronted Hector, his fate became sealed. Apollon clouded himself in a mist and struck Patroklos in the back knocking the protective corselet from his armor. Hector stepped in to deliver the killing blow and stripped away Achilles's armor.

Another casualty of the fighting was a son of Zeus named Sarpedon. Although Sarpedon was loved by Zeus, it was necessary for him to die. One of the primary reasons for the protracted war at Troy was to rid the earth of the race of demigods ... Sarpedon was a demigod. Zeus called Apollon to his side and told him to go to the battlefield to retrieve Sarpedon's body and return it to his home in Lykia (Licya) because Zeus wanted Sarpedon to have a funeral worthy of a hero. Apollon cleaned Sarpedon's body of the blood and gore and returned him to his native land.

Apollon had been the constant protector of Hector throughout the Trojan War but when the time came for Hector to die, Apollon could not subvert the will of Zeus. After Hector killed Patroklos his death was inevitable. Patroklos had been Achilles's closest companion and after Patroklos's death Achilles swore an oath to kill Hector. Achilles plunged into the Trojan defenses and slaughtered his way to where Hector stood outside the city gates. Apollon urged Hector to stand and fight knowing full well that Hector was fated to die. When Achilles finally reached Hector, Apollon turned away and left Hector to the mercy of Athene ... of course, she had none. Achilles killed Hector with unimaginable viciousness ... in spite of the betrayal and brutality, Prince Hector died with honor.

When the fighting at Troy reached its peak, Zeus told the Immortals that they could enter the fray on whichever side they wished. Up until then, the Immortals were restricted by Zeus and could only influence the fighting rather than participate in the fighting ... the difference was subtle and infractions were inevitable but it was necessary to keep the war going for ten years in order to kill as many heroes and demigods as possible. At one point, Apollon encountered his uncle Poseidon (lord of the Sea) on the battlefield. Poseidon was roaring through the Trojan defenses living up to his title Earth-Shaker ... his presence was unmistakable. Apollon had once bragged that he would fight Poseidon if necessary but when the two gods stood face to face, Apollon decided that it would be best not to fight with his uncle. Apollon's sister Artemis chided her brother for not wanting to fight Poseidon but it was only in jest ... she would never encourage Apollon to do something which would certainly do him harm.

The Trojan War was almost over but Apollon still had a major role to play before the war could end and the walls of Troy could be toppled. Achilles was one of the demigods slated to die at Troy but Zeus decided that he should have a glorious death which would give honor to his mother Thetis and make the name Achilles immortal. The Greeks used the ruse of the Trojan Horse to gain access to the city and once the Greeks were inside the walls of Troy, they were unstoppable. Zeus would not allow a mortal man to kill Achilles so Apollon was given the task. With the aid of Prince Alexandros (Paris), Apollon killed Achilles. The exact circumstances of Achilles's death were not recorded in the ancient texts but later, perhaps legendary, accounts of his death say that he was killed at the Trojan Temple of Apollon with an arrow in the heel ... Achilles supposedly bled to death from the wound. Other accounts imply that it was Prince Alexandros and not Apollon who shot the arrow which killed Achilles. I suggest that we simply accept the oldest accounts and assume that it was Apollon who killed Achilles. The slaying of Achilles was the last noble deed of the Trojan War because the slaughter and destruction which followed were the opposite of glorious and noble.

Apollon

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Apollon as the Envoy of Life and Death

The Death of Phrontis

After the fall of the city of Troy, Apollon continued his assaults on the Achaeans (Achaians) as they traveled back to their homes. When the ships of Menelaos (Menelaus) and Odysseus reached the Cape of Athens (holy Sunium), Apollon killed Phrontis, the renowned steersman. Menelaos and his crew were forced by custom to halt their journey and give their worthy companion the last rites suitable for a warrior of his caliber. This delay was the first step in allowing the murderer of Agamemnon to go unpunished for seven long years. It's implied that the sacrifice of many thigh bones allowed Aigisthos (Aegisthus) and Klytemnestra (Clytemnestra), the cowardly murderer and Agamemnon's despicable wife, to get away with their heinous crime. The 'good' news is that Menelaos's delayed homecoming allowed Orestes (Agamemnon's son) to bring pitiless justice down on the head of Aigisthos.

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The Death of Rhexenor

A race of mortals was being shaped and nurtured by the Immortals to play an important role in future events, i.e. to give sanctuary to Jason and Medeia (Medea) after they had stolen the Golden Fleece and to rescue Odysseus and return him to his home. The leader of this race was descended from Poseidon (lord of the Sea) and Giants, his name was Nausithoos, lord of the Phaiakians (Phaeacians). Nausithoos had two male children, Alkinoos (Alcinous) and Rhexenor. Rhexenor was married and Alkinoos was not. Apollon killed Rhexenor (with a shower of painless arrows) and Alkinoos married his widow. This was all very fortunate for Odysseus when he was washed ashore in the land of the Phaiakians. Alkinoos and his beloved wife Arete, were sympathetic to poor Odysseus. He knelt before them in cloths he had been given and begged for a fast ship to take him to his homeland. The deadly arrows of Apollon brought love and peace to the Phaiakians and their king and queen.

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The Death of Eurytos the Archer

After being given sanctuary by king Alkinoos (Alcinous) and his beloved wife, Arete, Odysseus was asked to join the competitive sports with the Phaiakian men ... he took up the polished bow and said that his skills were as good as any mortal man but he would never compare himself to heroes like Herakles (Heracles) or Eurytos. Odysseus goes on to say that Eurytos did not live to enjoy his property and fame because he challenged Apollon in archery. Apollon killed him for the insult.

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The Deaths of Otos (Otus) and Ephialtes

Apollon was asked to intervene when the two monstrous sons of Poseidon (lord of the Sea) and Iphimedeia threatened to attack the Immortals on Mount Olympos (Olympus). These boisterous youths, Otos (Otus) and Ephialtes, were the tallest men ever to walk the earth. They were almost as handsome as the famous hunter, Orion, but they were too loud and too proud for the Immortals to tolerate. They threatened to uproot mountains and pile them up against Mount Olympos and then climb into the precincts of the Immortals. Zeus believed they could, when grown to full stature, fulfill their threat if they were not stopped. Zeus sent Apollon to kill the dangerous youths before they were old enough to do any harm.

The Death of Meleagros

Meleagros was the Prince of Kalydon (Calydon) just prior to the Trojan War. When Meleagros was born, an oracle informed his mother Althaia that her new son would die as soon as the wood in the hearth was burned away. Wishing to save her son, Althaia extinguished the fire and preserved the unburned wood.

Kalydon was the scene of one of the most important events in ancient Greek history, the Kalydonian Hunt (Calydonian Hunt). Meleagros's father, King Oineus, insulted Artemis by neglecting to offer the goddess the first-fruits of the harvest. Artemis vented her rage on King Oineus, Meleagros and the people of Kalydon. When Artemis sent a savage boar to ravage the orchards of Kalydon, Meleagros assembled a company of brave warriors to hunt and kill the boar. After killing the boar, Meleagros awarded the hide of the boar to the huntress Atalanta because she had been the first to wound the beast. Althaia's brother(s) tried to take the boar hide away from Atalanta and Meleagros killed him (them). Meleagros's mother Althaia went into a simmering rage and when she felt the time was right, took the wood she had hidden at Meleagros's birth and burned it. Apollon killed Meleagros in accordance with the oracle.

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Apollon as Favorable Sign

There are times when the approval of the Immortals is very important to individual and groups. Apollon usually revealed his will through the Oracle at Delphi but there were times when he would show his intentions through signs and personal encounters.

Apollon and Telemachos

After the Trojan War had been over for ten years (circa 1240 BCE), Odysseus had not returned to his island home of Ithaka (Ithaca). Odysseus's son Telemachos (Telemachus) was in dire need of guidance because he did not know whether his father was dead or alive. The goddess Athene tried to guide Telemachos but her intervention was usually, but not always, subtle.

The home of Odysseus had been invaded by a group of suitors seeking to marry Odysseus's wife Penelope and the excesses of the suitors had become a curse on Telemachos and his mother. There were many people in Ithaka who were dismissive of Telemachos because he was young but there were others who recognized the potential greatness of the young man ... after all, he was the son of the resourceful and dynamic Odysseus.

At a meeting of the men of Ithaka, Apollon sent a message to the assembled men to demonstrate his divine protection of Telemachos. A falcon flew overhead and snatched a pigeon out of the air ... the falcon proceeded to rip the pigeon to pieces and shower the men below with feathers and blood.

The entire assembly witnessed the event and a companion of Telemachos named Theoklymenos (Theoclymenus) proclaimed that it was a favorable sign sent from Apollon to show the men of Ithaka what would happen to the insolent suitors who were abusing the hospitality of Odysseus's son and wife.

Apollon and the Argonauts

A generation before the Trojan War, Jason led a group of the greatest heroes in ancient Greece on the Quest for the Golden Fleece. The men who accompanied Jason to the remote land of Kolchis (Colchis) to retrieve the Golden Fleece became known as the Argonauts.

Before leaving on the Quest for the Golden Fleece, Jason consulted the Oracle at Delphi and was told that he would accomplish his mission. He was given three tripods which Apollon intended for Jason to use to insure his safety and success.

Although the goddesses Athene (Athena) and Hera were the primary protectors of the Argonauts, Jason never failed to give thanks and homage to Apollon. He built altars to Apollon Embasius (Apollon, the god of embarkation) and Apollon Ecbasian and Ecbasius (Apollon, god of disembarkation) to show his respect. When the beleaguered Argonauts were on the island of Thynias, they saw Apollon arrive on the island from the sky. The Argonauts were so humbled by the vision of the god, they built an altar and renamed the island The Sacred Isle of Apollon of the Dawn.

Apollon honored and blessed the Argonauts in many ways but perhaps the most dramatic was when the Argonauts were trying to sail from the island of Crete to the Greek mainland. A very dense fog surrounded their ship and even blotted out the stars in the sky. Jason prayed to Phoibos to save them. Apollon heard Jason's sincere plea and created a beacon in the foggy murk to lead the Argonauts to a nearby island. The Argonauts built an altar to Apollon the Gleamer and named the island Anaphe, The Isle of Revealing.

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Apollon was taken into the Roman pantheon as Apollo, god of the Sun.

Apollon

Apollon in The Iliad

(listed by book and line)

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Wyatt translations of The Iliad. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use.

01.010 - Apollon, the son of Zeus and Leto, drove pestilence among the Achaeans (Achaians)
01.012 - Chryses, priest of Apollon, was disgraced by Agamemnon when he tried to ransom his daughter from the Achaeans (Achaians)
01.014 - The priest, Chryses, carried a staff with golden ribbons which represented Apollon
01.021 - The priest, Chryses, wished the Achaeans (Achaians) victory but begged for the return of his young daughter as an honor to Apollon
01.036 - The priest, Chryses prayed to King Apollon, the lord of the island of Tenedos
01.043 - Phoibos Apollon heard the prayer of his priest, Chryses, and strode from Mount Olympos (Olympus) to Ilion (Troy) to punish the Achaeans (Achaians)
01.064 - Achilles wants to ask a prophet of Zeus why Phoibos Apollon is so angry at the Achaeans (Achaians)
01.072 - Kalchas (Calchas) the seer, was given his powers by Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon
01.075 - Kalchas (Calchas) the seer, asks Achilles for protection if his prophecy angers Agamemnon; his prophetic gifts were given to him by the lord who strikes from afar, i.e. Apollon
01.086 - Achilles promises the seer, Kalchas (Calchas), protection and swears by Apollon that no man or king will harm him for speaking the truth
01.110 - When the prophet Kalchas (Calchas) explains Apollon's anger towards the Achaeans (Achaians), Agamemnon complains bitterly but agrees to return the girl, Chryseis, to her father
01.147 - Agamemnon orders that the girl Chryseis be returned to her father and that a sacrifice be dedicated to The Archer, i.e. Apollon
01.182 - Agamemnon says that if Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon wishes the return of the girl, Chryseis, he will take another girl, Briseis, to replace her
01.310 - Agamemnon sends Odysseus with the girl Chryseis and a hecatomb sacrifice for the god Apollon
01.315 - Odysseus takes a perfect hecatomb of bulls and goats to be sacrificed to Apollon
01.370 - Achilles tells his mother Thetis about Agamemnon's ill treatment of Apollon's priest, Chryses
01.374 - Achilles tells his mother Thetis that the priest, Chryses, carried a staff with golden ribbons which represented Apollon
01.380 - Achilles tells his mother Thetis that Apollon heard the prayer of Chryses and punished the Achaeans (Achaians) for showing disrespect to the god's priest
01.385 - Achilles tells his mother Thetis that the seer, Kalchas (Calchas), correctly interpreted the will of Apollon
01.438 - Odysseus unloads the bulls and goats to be sacrificed to the archer, Apollon
01.444 - Odysseus explains to the priest of Apollon, Chryses, that he has come to return his daughter and make a sacrifice to Apollon
01.451 - The priest Chryses prayed to the lord of the silver bow, i.e. Apollon, that the punishment of the Achaeans (Achaians) be ended
01.453 - The priest Chryses calls Apollon the lord of the island of Tenedos
01.457 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon heard the prayer of his priest, Chryses
01.473 - Odysseus and the other Achaeans (Achaians) sang a hymn to Apollon
01.479 - On the morning after the sacrifice, Apollon sent favorable winds to propel Odysseus and his crew back to Troy
01.603 - The Muse sang and Apollon played the lyre on Mount Olympos (Olympus)
02.371 - Agamemnon prays to Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon
02.766 - The finest horses of the Danaans were bred by Apollon and owned by Eumelos (Eumelus) of Pereia
04.101 - When Athene (Athena) encouraged the Trojan archer Pandaros (Pandarus) to secretly shoot Menelaos (Menelaus), she told him to pray to Apollon the light-born, glorious archer
04.119 - Pandaros (Pandarus) prayed to Apollon to guide his arrow aimed at Menelaos (Menelaus)
04.288 - Agamemnon prays to Father Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon
04.507 - Apollon, watching from Mount Pergamus, called to the Trojans and encouraged them to fight harder
04.514 - As Apollon encouraged the Trojans, Athene (Athena) strode through the battle and drove on the Achaeans (Achaians)
05.104 - Pandaros (Pandarus) calls to the other Trojans and says that his prayers to Apollon have been answered and that he has wounded Diomedes
05.344 - When Diomedes wounded Aphrodite she lost her grip on her son, Aineias (Aeneas), but Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon caught him and covered him in mist
05.433 - Diomedes tries to attack Aineias (Aeneas) even though Aineias is being protected by Apollon
05.434 - Diomedes did not retreat from the great god, i.e. Apollon
05.437 - Apollon brushes aside the attack of Diomedes
05.440 - Apollon speaks to Diomedes and warns him not to press his attack
05.444 - Diomedes listened to Apollon's warning and did not press his attack as strongly
05.454 - Apollon speaks to Ares about the violence of Diomedes
05.460 - Apollon retreated to the peak of Mount Pergamus as Ares returned to the battlefield
05.509 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon of the golden sword encouraged Ares to awaken the fighting spirit of the Trojans
05.512 - Apollon sends forth Aineias (Aeneas), unwounded
05.518 - Aineias (Aeneas) returned from the fighting unwounded because the god of the silver bow (Apollon), Ares and Eris (Discord) were fighting with the Trojans
05.760 - Hera speaks to Zeus and asks why Ares is allowed to rage against the Achaeans (Achaians) while Kypros (Aphrodite) and Apollon take their ease on Mount Olympos (Olympus)
07.020 - Apollon goes to meet Athene (Athena) at Troy
07.023 - Apollon addresses Athene (Athena) and asks why she has come from Mount Olympos (Olympus) to the battlefield
07.034 - Athene (Athena) addresses Apollon as the 'worker from afar' and asks how they might cooperate to stop the fighting at Troy
07.037 - Apollon suggests that he and Athene (Athena) rouse Hector to one-on-one combat with one of the Danaans
07.058 - Apollon and Athene (Athena) assume the form of vultures and watch the unfolding battle from an oak tree
07.081 - Hector prays to Apollon for glory and promises that anyone who will face him in one-on-one combat will be treated fairly
07.083 - Hector promises to take the armor of anyone he kills and hang it in front of the temple of Apollon inside the walls of Troy
07.132 - Nestor wishes that he was still young and uses the names of Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon as an oath
07.272 - When Aias beat Hector to the ground, Apollon came to help the Trojan hero
08.311 - Apollon deflected an arrow aimed at Hector and caused it to strike his charioteer, Archeptolemos (Archeptolemus)
08.540 - Hector wishes for honor like that of Athene (Athena) and Apollon
09.404 - Achilles speaks of Apollon as 'The Archer'
09.405 - Achilles speaks of Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon in Pytho, i.e. Delphi
09.560 - Phoinix (Phoenix) relates the story of how, in days long past, a man named Idas was so brave that he dared to stand against Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon when the god tried to steal his daughter
09.564 - Phoenix relates the story of how Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon took the young girl, Alkyone (Alcyone), from her mother and father
10.515 - Apollon rushes to the sleeping Trojans to rouse them after Odysseus and Diomedes had secretly raided the Trojan camp
11.353 - Hector is protected by Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon's helmet
11.363 - Diomedes curses his foiled attack on Hector and says, 'once again, Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon has saved you'
12.017 - Apollon and Poseidon take counsel to destroy the wall and ditch that the Danaans built to keep the Trojans away from the ships
12.024 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon turns the rivers of Mount Ida against the wall that the Danaans built
12.034 - Poseidon and Apollon watch as the Trojans continue their attack against the wall and ditch that the Danaans built to protect their ships
13.827 - Hector taunts Aias saying that if he had been a son of Zeus and Hera and honored like Apollon and Athene (Athena) all the Achaeans (Achaians) would die on his spear
15.055 - Zeus sends Hera to Mount Olympos (Olympus) to summon Iris and Apollon
15.059 - Zeus tells Hera that he wants to send Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon to stir Hector back into battle
15.143 - Hera calls to Apollon and Iris and tells them to go to Mount Ida and do Zeus's bidding
15.150 - Apollon and Iris leave Mount Olympos (Olympus) on their way to Mount Ida
15.220 - Zeus speaks to Apollon and tells him to stir Hector back into battle
15.221 - Zeus refers to Apollon as 'beloved Phoibos (Phoebus)'
15.231 - Zeus refers to Apollon as 'Striker from Afar'
15.236 - Apollon assumes the guise of a hawk and descends Mount Ida towards Troy
15.243 - Apollon speaks to Hector and admonishes him for not joining the battle
15.253 - Apollon tells Hector that he has been sent by Zeus to stand beside him in battle and protect him
15.256 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon tells Hector that he has used his gold sword to protect him in the past
15.262 - Apollon breathed strength into Hector
15.307 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon, wrapped in mist and carrying the aegis of Zeus, led Hector into battle
15.318 - When Apollon moved the aegis of Zeus, men and beasts lost their valor
15.326 - Apollon drove the Achaeans (Achaians) back in terror and gave victory to the Trojans
15.355 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon leads the Trojans past the defensive ditch the Danaans had built and allowed them to attack the wall which protected the ships
15.360 - With Apollon in front, the Trojans broke down the wall the Danaans had built to protect their ships
15.365 - Lord Apollon drives the Argives back in terror
15.441 - Aias calls to his brother, Teukros (Teucer), and asks about the bow and arrows that Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon had given him
15.521 - Apollon protects Poulydamas (Polydamas) from certain death at the hands of Meges
16.094 - Achilles warns Patroklos (Patroclus) not to press the fight to the walls of Troy because Apollon loves the Trojans and will not permit their defeat
16.097 - Achilles swears by Father Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon and wishes that he and Patroklos (Patroclus) could breach the walls of Troy together
16.513 - Glaukos (Glaucus) is wounded in battle and says a prayer to Apollon that he might be able to continue to fight
16.527 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon hears the prayer of Glaukos (Glaucus) and abates his pain so that he could continue to fight
16.666 - Zeus commands Apollon to retrieve the body of Sarpedon and return him to his home in Lykia (Lycia)
16.667 - Zeus calls Apollon 'beloved Phoibos (Phoebus)' as he sends him to retrieve the body of his son, Sarpedon
16.676 - Apollon descends Mount Ida and retrieves the body of Sarpedon as Zeus has commanded
16.700 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon stands on the walls of Troy and foresees death for Patroklos (Patroclus)
16.703 - As Patroklos (Patroclus) attacks the walls of Troy, Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon batters him
16.707 - Apollon speaks to Patroklos (Patroclus) and warns him that it is not destined for him to breach the walls of Troy
16.711 - Patroklos (Patroclus) heeded Apollon's warning and gave ground
16.715 - Apollon stands by Hector in the guise of a young man named Asios (Asius)
16.720 - Apollon speaks to Hector and asks why he has quit the fight
16.725 - Apollon, in the guise of Asios (Asius), tells Hector to confront Patroklos (Patroclus)
16.728 - Apollon goes into the battle and causes confusion in the ranks of the Achaeans (Achaians)
16.788 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon goes against Patroklos (Patroclus) cloaked in mist
16.792 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon strikes Patroklos (Patroclus) in the back
16.804 - Apollon knocked the protective corselet from Patroklos (Patroclus)
16.845 - The mortally wounded Patroklos (Patroclus) tells Hector that he knows he was defeated by Apollon
17.071 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon stirs Hector to capture the horses of Achilles
17.118 - Aias tries to restore the valor of his men since Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon had put terror in their hearts
17.322 - Apollon assumes the guise of the herald, Periphas
17.326 - Apollon, in the guise of the herald Periphas, stirs Aineias (Aeneas) into battle
17.333 - Aineias (Aeneas) sees through the disguise and recognizes Apollon as a god
17.582 - Apollon stands by Hector in the guise of the herald, Phainops
17.585 - The disguised Apollon berates Hector and reminds him that Menelaos (Menelaus) has killed Podes
18.454 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon kept the Achaeans (Achaians) from storming the Skaian (Scaean) Gates of Troy
20.038 - Ares and Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon take the battlefield on the side of the Trojans
20.068 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon stood against Poseidon on the battlefield
20.079 - Apollon inspires Aineias (Aeneas) to fight
20.081 - Apollon takes the guise of king Priam's son, Lykaon (Lycaon), and speaks to Aineias (Aeneas)
20.103 - Apollon speaks to Aineias (Aeneas) and reminds him that although he is the son of the goddess Aphrodite, his father was a mortal
20.118 - Hera speaks to Poseidon and Athene (Athena) and tells them that Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon has sent Aineias (Aeneas) to fight against Achilles
20.138 - Poseidon says that if Ares or Apollon joins the fight against Achilles he will stand against them
20.295 - Poseidon speaks to the other Immortals and laments that Aineias (Aeneas) will die because Apollon will not protect him
20.375 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon speaks to Hector and tells him not to engage Achilles alone
20.443 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon wraps Hector in mist and saves him from certain death at the hands of Achilles
20.450 - Frustrated that Hektor (Hektor) has escaped him, Achilles shouts 'once more Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon has saved you'
21.228 - The river Skamandros (Scamander) speaks to Apollon and berates him for allowing Achilles to slaughter the Trojans
21.229 - The river Skamandros (Scamander) refers to Apollon as 'lord of the silver bow'
21.278 - Achilles complains to Zeus that the river Skamandros (Scamander) is trying to kill him and that he was promised by his mother, Thetis, that he would die by the shafts of Apollon
21.435 - Poseidon speaks to Apollon and encourages him to enter the fray; he suggests that the two gods fight one another
21.436 - As the two gods face one another and prepare to fight, Poseidon refers to Apollon as 'Phoibos (Pheobus)' and says that since he is the younger he should be the first strike a blow
21.448 - Poseidon reminds Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon that he was wronged by the king of Troy (Laomedon) when the god bought cattle from Mount Ida
21.461 - Apollon asks Poseidon why he should fight for the sake of the insignificant mortals
21.470 - Apollon's sister, Artemis, scolds him for not fighting Poseidon
21.472 - Artemis refers to Apollon as 'Striker from Afar'
21.515 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon enters Ilion (Troy) because he is concerned that the Danaans will breach the walls
21.538 - Apollon defends the gate so that the Trojans can escape the murderous assault of Achilles
21.545 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon sent three Achaeans (Achaians) into the hands of Agenor to be killed
21.596 - Apollon wrapped Agenor in a mist to save him from Achilles
21.600 - Apollon takes the form of Agenor and leads Achilles away from the walls of Troy
21.604 - Apollon tricked Achilles into chasing him while the Trojans found safety inside the walls of Troy
22.006 - Apollon speaks to Achilles and asks why he vainly chases an immortal god
22.015 - Achilles speaks to Apollon and wishes that he could punish the god for leading him away from the battle
22.203 - Apollon stands by Hector for the last time
22.213 - Apollon leaves Hector because he is destined to die
22.220 - Athene (Athena) addresses Achilles and says that Apollon will no longer protect Hector
22.299 - Hector knows that Deiphobos, i.e. Apollon, has deserted him when his spear-throw is diverted from Achilles
22.302 - Hector laments that Zeus and Zeus's son, i.e. Apollon, are pleased to see that his death is imminent
22.359 - As he is dying, Hector warns Achilles that Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon will destroy him
23.188 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon brought down a mist to protect the dead body of Hector so that it would not wither in the sun
23.292 - Apollon had saved Aineias (Aeneas)' life when Diomedes took his horses
23.383 - At the funeral games of Patroklos (Patroclus), Apollon took the whip from Diomedes's hands which made his horses lose ground in the chariot race
23.388 - At the funeral games of Patroklos (Patroclus), Athene (Athena) saw Apollon interfere with Diomedes and gave back the whip that Apollon had knocked from his hand
23.660 - At the funeral games of Patroklos (Patroclus), Achilles speaks of Apollon as he begins the boxing match
23.865 - At the funeral games of Patroklos (Patroclus), Apollon hinders Teukros's (Teucer's) arrow during archery competition
23.872 - At the funeral games of Patroklos (Patroclus), Meriones prays to Apollon to guide his arrow during archery competition
24.018 - Apollon took pity on the dead body of Hector and guarded it from all ugliness
24.032 - Apollon speaks to the other gods and asks them to return the body of Hector to his family
24.604 - Achilles tells Priam how Apollon had killed Niobe's sons and Artemis had killed her daughters
24.759 - In death, Hector looks handsome and fresh as if he had been killed with the gentle arrows from Apollon's silver bow

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Apollon in The Odyssey

(listed by book and line)

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Dimock translations of The Odyssey. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use.

03.279 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon's painless arrow killed the helmsman of Menelaos's (Menelaus's) boat
04.341 - While talking to Telemachos (Telemachus), Menelaos (Menelaus) prays to Father Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon that Odysseus will return to his home to eject Penelope's suitors
06.162 - Odysseus speaks to Nausikaa and tells her that he has not seen anyone as lovely since he visited Apollon's altar on the island of Delos
07.064 - Athene (Athena) informs Odysseus that Apollon shot Rhexenor, the father of the queen of the Phaiakians (Phaeacians)
07.311 - King Alkinoos (Alcinous) prays to Father Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon and wishes that Odysseus could be his son-in-law
08.079 - The singer, Demodokos (Demodocus), mentions the prophecy of Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon that was given to Agamemnon at Pylos, i.e. Delphi; the prophecy predicted the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles
08.227 - Apollon killed Eurytos (Eurytus) because he challenged the god to an archery competition
08.323 - Hermes and Apollon came to witness Ares and Aphrodite caught in the trap that Hephaistos (Hephaestus) had made
08.334 - Apollon asks Hermes if he would endure the snares of Hephaistos (Hephaestus) if he could share the bed of Aphrodite
08.339 - Hermes tells Lord Apollon that he would endure thrice the bonds that Hephaistos (Hephaestus) used to snare Ares if he could only share the bed of Aphrodite
08.488 - Odysseus tells the singer Demodokos (Demodocus) that either the Muse or Apollon had given him his gift
09.198 - When he explored the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus carried a potent wine that a priest of Apollon, Maron, had given him
09.201 - The priest, Maron, made his home in a grove sacred to Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon
11.318 - Odysseus refers to Apollon as 'the son of Zeus and Leto'
11.319 - Apollon killed Otos (Otus) and Ephialtes while they were still young
15.245 - The prophet Theoklymenos (Theoclymenus) tells Telemachos (Telemachus) how Zeus and Apollon loved the warrior Amphiaraos (Amphiaraus)
15.252 - Polypheides was made into a prophet by Apollon
15.410 - Apollon and Artemis come to the island of Syria and kill the aged painlessly with silver arrows
15.526 - A falcon, messenger of Apollon, tore a pigeon with its claws in front of the assembled men of the island of Ithaka (Ithaca) as conformation that Telemachos (Telemachus) spoke with the authority of the gods
17.132 - Telemachos (Telemachus) tells his mother, Penelope, what Menelaos (Menelaus) said about Odysseus and how he had prayed to father Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon that Odysseus would return home and eject Penelope's suitors
17.251 - The goatherd, Melanthios (Melanthius), wished that Apollon would strike down Telemachos (Telemachus)
17.494 - Penelope prayed that The Archer, Apollon, would strike down the man who had attacked the disguised Odysseus in her home
18.235 - Telemachos (Telemachus) wishes to Father Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon that Penelope's suitors would be ejected from his house
19.086 - Telemachos (Telemachus) grew to be a man by the grace of Apollon
20.278 - A sacrifice is taken to the grove of Apollon
21.268 - A sacrifice is proposed to The Archer, Apollon, while Penelope's suitors are postponing the attempt to string the bow of Odysseus
21.338 - Penelope urges the suitors to let the disguised Odysseus try to string the bow and says that if Apollon grants him that glory she will give him many fine gifts
21.364 - Penelope's suitors cry out as the swineherd gives the bow to Odysseus and exclaim that they wish that Apollon and the other Immortals were more propitious towards them
22.007 - Odysseus asks Apollon to grant him glory as he tears off his disguises and turns the bow on Penelope's suitors
24.376 - Odysseus's father, Laertes, wishes to Father Zeus, Athene (Athena) and Apollon that he was young again so that he could help Odysseus and Telemachos (Telemachus) fight Penelope's suitors

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Other Text References

Works and Days

line 771 - The seventh day of the month is holy because Apollon was born on that day

Theogony

line 14 - The poet calls upon the Muses to sing the praises of the Immortals including Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon
line 94 - It is because of the Muses and Apollon that there are minstrels upon the earth
line 347 - Zeus gave the Rivers, Apollon and the Okeanids the special obligation of having the young in their keeping
line 918 - Leto joined in love with Zeus to produce Apollon and Artemis

Catalogues of Women and Eoiae

fragment 63 - Asklepios (Asclepius) and Eriopis were the children of Apollon and Arsinoe
fragment 63 - A lost document, The Catalogue of the Daughters of Leukippus (Leucippus), states that Apollon killed the Cyclopes
fragment 83 - Apollon joined in love with a Nymph; Ileus was born from that union; this happened at the same time Apollon and Poseidon built the walls of Troy
fragment 89 - A crow came to Apollon as a messenger and said that Ischys had married Koronis (Coronis)
fragment 90 - Zeus struck Asklepios (Asclepius) with a thunderbolt which aroused the anger of Apollon, the son of Leto
fragment 91 - (an implied reference) "He" would have been cast into Tartaros (Tartarus) by Zeus if Leto had not interceded and "He" became the bondsman of a mortal
fragment 93 - Aristeaus was the son of Kyrene (Cyrene) and Apollon, the shepherd
fragment 98 - Meleagros (Meleager) of Kalydon (Calydon) was killed by Apollon

Fragments of Unknown Position

fragment 2 - (fragmented verse) Unless Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon should save him (Paean) from death

Doubtful Fragments

fragment 3 - Homer and I sang in Delos to Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon, of the golden sword

The Shield of Herakles

line 58 - Herakles found Kyknos (Cycnus) and his father Ares (god of War) in the sanctuary of Apollon
line 68 - Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon had stirred Herakles to fight Kyknos (Cycnus)
line 70 - The grove and altar of Pagasaean Apollon flamed in anticipation of the of the fight between Herakles and Kyknos (Cycnus)
line 100 - Herakles tells Iolaos (Iolaus) that even though Ares (god of War) is raging through the grove of Phoibos (Phoebus) Apollon, he (Ares) will not enter the fight
line 478 - Apollon commanded the river Anauros (Anaurus) to blot out the grave of Kyknos (Cycnus)

The Great Eoiae

fragment 5 - Thero lay in the embrace of Apollon and their son was horse-taming Chaeron
fragment 12 - The seer Melampous (Melampus) was very dear to Apollon
fragment 13 - Skylla (Scylla) is the daughter of Phoibos (Phoebus) and Hekate (Hecate)
fragment 16 - Apollon was seized with love for Magnes and while he was distracted, Hermes stole his cattle

The Melampodia

fragment 8 - Hesiod says that Amphilochus was killed by Apollon at Soli

The Epigoni

fragment 3 - Manto, the daughter of the seer Teiresias, was sent to Delphi by the Epigoni and that in accordance with an oracle of Apollon, married Rhakios (Rhacius)

The Aethiopis

fragment 1 - After killing of Thersites, Achilles sailed to Lesbos and sacrificed to Apollon, Artemis and Leto; he was then purified by Odysseus of his blood-guilt
fragment 1 - After entering Troy, Achilles was killed by Prince Alexandros (Paris) and Apollon

The Telegony

fragment 1, line 15 - When Odysseus was fighting with the Brygi, Athene (Athena) and Ares (god of War) fought until Apollon separated them

The Margites

fragment 2 - A old man came to Kolophon (Colophon) who was a divine singer and a servant of the Muses and of far-shooting Apollon

The Contest of Homer and Hesiod

section 17 - Some say that Hesiod could trace his heritage back to Apollon and Aethusa, daughter of Poseidon (lord of the Sea)
section 324 - For composing a poem honoring King Midas, Homer was given a silver bowl which he dedicated to Apollon at Delphi
section 325 - For composing a Hymn to Apollon, the Ionians made Homer a citizen of each one of their states

Hymn to Delian Apollon III

A hymn detailing Leto's quest for the perfect birthplace for Apollon and his birth on the island of Delos

Hymn to Pythian Apollon

A hymn describing the establishment of Apollon's shrine at Delphi; his search for the best place for his Oracle; defeating Pytho and Telphousa (Telphusa); populating the shrine with men from Crete

Hymn to Hermes IV

A hymn about the birth of Hermes which includes Hermes's encounter with Apollon; stealing Apollon's cattle; giving Apollon the first lyre; Apollon bestowing divine gifts on Hermes

Hymn to Aphrodite V

line 24 - Poseidon and Apollon wanted to marry Aphrodite
line 151 - Hermes wishes to share the bed of Aphrodite and says that not even the golden arrows of Apollon would deter him

Hymn to Dionysos VII

line 19 - The pirates who caught and bound Dionysos did not know his true identity but guessed that he might be Zeus or Apollon in disguise

Hymn to Artemis IX

The poet asks the Muse to sing of Artemis, sister of the Far-Shooter, Apollon

Hymn to Artemis XXVII

A short hymn to Artemis, sister of Apollon with the golden sword

Hymn to Asklepios

I sing of Asklepios (Asclepius), healer of the sick and the son of Apollon

Hymn to Histia XXIV

A hymn to Histia (Hestia) who tends the house of lord Apollon, the Far-Shooter

Hymn to the Muses and Apollon XXV

Singers and lyre players are on the earth because of Apollon and the Muses but kings are from Zeus

lines 185-208 - When Apollon leaves his shrine in Pytho and travels to Mount Olympos (Olympus), the other gods and goddesses gather to hear the beautiful music he plays on the lyre which Hermes gave him

Pindar

Pythian Ode 3, lines 1-57 - Asklepios (Asclepius) accepted gold as a payment for restoring a dead man to life; Zeus struck down Asklepios and the man he had resurrected with a flash of lightning

The Argonautika

1.301 - Jason comforted his mother by reminding her that Athene (Athena) and Phoibos (Phoebus) had given favorable promises and oracles that his Quest for the Golden Fleece would be successful
1.307 - Jason moved with the divine grace of Apollon
1.353 - To ensure a successful voyage, Jason encouraged the Argonauts to propitiate Apollon with sacrifices and feasts
1.360 - Before the Argo set sail, Jason told the Argonauts that they should build an altar to Apollon Embasius (Apollon, the god of embarkation)
1.403 - The Argonauts built an altar for Apollon Actius (Apollon, the god of the shore)
1.410 - Jason prayed to Apollon for the fulfillment of their goal to return the Golden Fleece to Greece
1.536 - The Argonauts rowed with the precision and rhythm of young dancers honoring Apollon
1.759 - The robe which Athene (Athena) made for Jason had an animated scene with a very young Apollon shooting an arrow at Tityos
1.966 - In the land of the Doliones, the Argonauts built an altar to Apollon Ecbasian (Apollon, god of disembarkation)
1.1186 - The Argonauts sacrificed at nightfall to Apollon Ecbasius (Apollon, god of disembarkation)
2.211 - Phineus prayed to the son of Leto and thanked him for the gift of prophecy
2.216 - Phineus prayed to Phoibos (Phoebus) and Hera who held the Argonauts in their special care
2.257 - With the son of Leto as his witness, Phineus told Zetes that no harm would come to him if he chased the Harpies away
2.493 - While with the blind seer Phineus, the Argonauts called upon Apollon and offered sacrifices
2.502 - Apollon carried Kyrene (Cyrene) from her home and placed her among the nymphs of Libya
2.506 - Phoibos (Phoebus) and Kyrene (Cyrene) had a son named Aristaios (Aristaeus)
2.674 - The son of Leto appeared to the Argonauts at dawn on the island of Thynias
2.686 - After the Argonauts saw Apollon on the island of Thynias, Orpheus said that they should rename the island The Sacred Isle of Apollon of the Dawn
2.698 - When the Argonauts were looking for an animal to sacrifice, Leto's son provided them with a quarry
2.700 - The Argonauts built an altar for Apollon, Lord of the Dawn
2.702 - The Argonauts prayed to the fair god of healing, Phoibos (Phoebus)
2.712 - The Korykian (Corycian) nymphs call Apollon, Healer; the name became a refrain of the hymn to Phoibos (Phoebus)
2.847 - Phoibos (Phoebus) commanded the Boeotians and Nisacians to worship the dead Argonaut Idmon as a god
2.927 - The Argonauts built an altar to Apollon, savior of ships, on the island which came to be known as Lyra because Orpheus dedicated his lyre there
3.1181 - Apollon sent a heifer to guide Kadmos (Cadmus) to the place where the city of Thebes was to be founded
3.1283 - When Jason stepped off the Argo to confront the bronze-footed bulls of King Aietes (Aeetes), he somewhat resembled Ares (god of War) and somewhat resembled Apollon of the golden sword
4.528 - Jason gave the Hylleans a tripod of Apollon for allowing the Argo to peacefully pass their island
4.529 - Apollon gave Jason three tripods to take with him on his voyage
4.612 - The Celts say that the amber in the river Eridanos (Eridanus) are the tears of Apollon
4.1218 - Medeia (Media) built altars on the island of the Phaiakians (Phaeacians) at a place which was sacred to Apollon, god of shepherds
4.1490 - Kaphauros (Caphaurus), the grandson of Apollon, killed the Argonaut Kanthos (Canthus) in Libya
4.1493 - The maiden Akakallis (Acacallis) and Apollon had a son named Amphithemis, who became the father of Kaphauros (Caphaurus)
4.1548 - While stranded in Libya, Orpheus suggested that the Argonauts leave one of the tripods Apollon had given to Jason to assure their safe return to Greece
4.1550 - The Argonauts placed one of the tripods Apollon had given to Jason on the shore in Libya
4.1702 - When the Argonauts were lost in the fog after leaving the island of Crete, Jason called upon Phoibos (Phoebus) to save the Argo
4.1714 - The son of Leto heard the cries of Jason and sent a light through the fog to lead the Argonauts to safety
4.1716 - Saved from being lost in the fog, the Argonauts built an abode for Apollon on an island
4.1717 - The Argonauts built an altar to Apollon the Gleamer because he gave them a light to guide them through the fog
4.1718 - The Argonauts named the island which had Phoibos (Phoebus) showed them Anaphe, The Isle of Revealing
4.1729 - It became traditional for women to make sport of men when they worshiped Apollon on the island of Anaphe because the Phaiakian (Phaeacian) handmaids of Medeia (Media) thus taunted the Argonauts when they first found the island in the fog

The Histories

1.50 - King Kroesus (Croesus) of Lydia endeavored to win the favor of the god at Delphi (Apollon)
1.52 - King Kroesus (Croesus) of Lydia dedicated a gold shield and spear in the temple of Ismenian Apollon at Thebes
1.69 - When the Spartans tried to buy gold from King Kroesus (Croesus) of Lydia to make a statue of Apollon, he offered the gold as a gift and won their friendship
1.87 - When King Kroesus (Croseus) of Lydia was being burned at the stake by Cyrus of Persia, he called upon Apollon to save him; clouds gathered in an clear sky and rain quenched the flames
1.91 - Apollon (Loxias) could not prevent the sad destiny which was prescribed for King Kroesus (Croseus) of Lydia
1.92 - The offerings which King Kroesus (Croseus) of Lydia made to Apollon were extravagant and numerous
1.144 - The games of the Triopian Apollon were restricted to participants from Ionian cities
2.83 - The Egyptians had oracles of Herakles (Heracles), Apollon, Athene (Athena), Artemis (goddess of the Hunt), Ares (god of War), and Zeus but the oracle of Leto was most honored
2.144 - The last god-king of Egypt was Horus, known to the Greeks as Apollon
2.155 - In the Egyptian city of Buto there is an oracle of Leto, Apollon and Artemis (goddess of the Hunt)
2.156 - The Egyptians believed that Apollon and Artemis (goddess of the Hunt) are children of Dionysos (Bacchus, god of Wine) and of Isis; Leto became their nurse and preserver of Apollon and Artemis; the Egyptians knew Dionysos as Osiris and Apollon as Horus
2.159 - King Necos of Egypt dedicated his garments to Apollon after his conquest of several cities in Syria
2.178 - The Milesians established a temple for Apollon
3.52 - King Periander of Corinth levied a fine on anyone who spoke to his son; the fine was to be paid to Apollon
4.15 - An apparition of Aristeas appeared in Metapontion in Italy and instructed the people to set up an altar to Apollon
4.59 - The Scythians worship Histia (Hestia, goddess of the Hearth), Zeus, Gaia (Earth) as the wife of Zeus, Apollon, Aphrodite (goddess of Love), Herakles (Heracles) and Ares (god of War)
4.155 - The priestess of Apollon at Delphi told Battus (Battos) of Thera to establish a settlement in Libya
4.158 - The Libyans took the colonists from Thera to the spring of Apollon and insisted that it was a good place to live because heaven is pierced with holes at that place
4.163 - The priestess at Delphi said that Loxias (Apollon) decreed that the descendants of Battus (Battos) would rule Kyrene (Cyrene) for eight generations
5.59 - Herodotus describes the ancient script he saw on tripods at the Temple of Ismenian Apollon at Thebes
5.60 - Herodotus describes the ancient script he saw on tripods referring to far-darting Apollon
5.61 - Herodotus describes the ancient script he saw on tripods referring to fair-aiming Apollon
6.57 - The Spartan kings had special privileges which included the delivery to the Temple of Apollon of a sacrificial victim on every new moon and the seventh day of the month
6.80 - Kleomenes (Cleomenes) lamented to Apollon that he had been deceived when he burned the sacred grove of Argos
6.118 - A golden statue of Apollon was stolen from a temple at Thebes and was not returned for twenty years
7.26 - The skin of Marsyas the Silenos, which is said to have been flayed off and hung up by Apollon, was hung in the city of Kelainai
8.33 - The oracle Temple of Apollon at Abai was plundered and burned by the barbarians
8.134 - The Persian commander Mardonios sent a man named Mys to various oracles including that of Ismenian Apollon at Thebes