Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; ,
grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=
Arcadocypriot Greek
Arcadocypriot, or southern Achaean, was an ancient Greek dialect spoken in Arcadia in the central Peloponnese and in Cyprus. Its resemblance to Mycenaean Greek, as it is known from the Linear B corpus, suggests that Arcadocypriot is its de ...
, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun,
la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label=genitive, , ; , is one of the
Olympian deities
Olympian or Olympians may refer to:
Religion
* Twelve Olympians, the principal gods and goddesses in ancient Greek religion
* Olympian spirits, spirits mentioned in books of ceremonial magic
Fiction
* ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'', fiction ...
in
classical Greek and
Roman religion
Religion in ancient Rome consisted of varying imperial and provincial religious practices, which were followed both by the people of Rome as well as those who were brought under its rule.
The Romans thought of themselves as highly religious, ...
and
Greek and
Roman mythology. The national divinity of the Greeks, Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
and light, poetry, and more. One of the most important and complex of the Greek gods, he is the son of
Zeus and
Leto, and the twin brother of
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with Sel ...
, goddess of the hunt. Seen as the most beautiful god and the ideal of the ''
kouros'' (ephebe, or a beardless, athletic youth), Apollo is considered to be the most Greek of all the gods. Apollo is known in Greek-influenced
Etruscan mythology as ''Apulu''.
As the patron deity of
Delphi (''Apollo Pythios''), Apollo is an
oracular god—the prophetic
deity of the
Delphic Oracle. Apollo is the god who affords help and wards off evil; various epithets call him the "averter of evil".
Medicine and healing are associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son
Asclepius
Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis, or Arsinoe, or of Apollo alone. Asclepius represen ...
. Apollo delivered people from epidemics, yet he is also a god who could bring ill-health and deadly
plague
Plague or The Plague may refer to:
Agriculture, fauna, and medicine
*Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis''
* An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural)
* A pandemic caused by such a disease
* A swarm of pes ...
with his arrows. The invention of archery itself is credited to Apollo and his sister Artemis. Apollo is usually described as carrying a silver or golden bow and a quiver of silver or golden arrows. Apollo's capacity to make youths grow is one of the best attested facets of his panhellenic cult persona. As a protector of the young (), Apollo is concerned with the health and education of children. He presided over their passage into adulthood. Long hair, which was the prerogative of boys, was cut at the coming of age () and dedicated to Apollo.
Apollo is an important pastoral deity, and was the patron of herdsmen and shepherds. Protection of herds, flocks and crops from diseases, pests and predators were his primary duties. On the other hand, Apollo also encouraged founding new towns and establishment of civil constitution. He is associated with dominion over
colonists
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer.
Settl ...
. He was the giver of laws, and his oracles were consulted before setting laws in a city.
As the god of ''mousike'', Apollo presides over all music, songs, dance and poetry. He is the inventor of string-music, and the frequent companion of the Muses, functioning as their chorus leader in celebrations. The lyre is a common
attribute of Apollo. In Hellenistic times, especially during the 5th century BCE, as ''Apollo Helios'' he became identified among Greeks with
Helios, the personification of the Sun. In Latin texts, however, there was no
conflation
Conflation is the merging of two or more sets of information, texts, ideas, opinions, etc., into one, often in error. Conflation is often misunderstood. It originally meant to fuse or blend, but has since come to mean the same as equate, treati ...
of Apollo with
Sol
Sol or SOL may refer to:
Astronomy
* The Sun
Currency
* SOL Project, a currency project in France
* French sol, or sou
* Argentine sol
* Bolivian sol, the currency of Bolivia from 1827 to 1864
* Peruvian sol, introduced in 1991
* Peruvian sol ...
among the classical Latin poets until 1st century CE. Apollo and Helios/Sol remained separate beings in literary and mythological texts until the 5th century CE.
Etymology
Apollo (
Attic
An attic (sometimes referred to as a ''loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...
,
Ionic, and
Homeric Greek
Homeric Greek is the form of the Greek language that was used by Homer in the '' Iliad'', '' Odyssey'', and Homeric Hymns. It is a literary dialect of Ancient Greek consisting mainly of Ionic, with some Aeolic forms, a few from Arcadocypriot, ...
: , ( );
Doric Doric may refer to:
* Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece
** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians
* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture
* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode
* Doric dialect (Scotland)
* Doric ...
: , ;
Arcadocypriot
Arcadocypriot, or southern Achaean, was an ancient Greek dialect spoken in Arcadia in the central Peloponnese and in Cyprus. Its resemblance to Mycenaean Greek, as it is known from the Linear B corpus, suggests that Arcadocypriot is its desce ...
: , ;
Aeolic
In linguistics, Aeolic Greek (), also known as Aeolian (), Lesbian or Lesbic dialect, is the set of dialects of Ancient Greek spoken mainly in Boeotia; in Thessaly; in the Aegean island of Lesbos; and in the Greek colonies of Aeolis in Anatoli ...
: , ; la, Apollō)
The name ''Apollo''—unlike the related
older name ''
Paean''—is generally not found in the
Linear B (
Mycenean Greek) texts, although there is a possible attestation in the
lacunose
A lacuna ( lacunae or lacunas) is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or musical work. A manuscript, text, or section suffering from gaps is said to be "lacunose" or "lacunulose".
Weathering, decay, and other damage to o ...
form '']pe-rjo-
' (Linear B: KN_E_842_tablet,_though_it_has_also_been_suggested_that_the_name_might_actually_read_"Hyperion_(Titan).html" ;"title="Knossos.html" ;"title=" on the Knossos">KN E 842 tablet, though it has also been suggested that the name might actually read "Hyperion (Titan)">Hyperion" ([u]-pe-rjo-[ne]).
The etymology of the name is uncertain. The spelling ( in Attic Greek, Classical Attic) had almost superseded all other forms by the beginning of the common era, but the [
Doric Doric may refer to:
* Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece
** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians
* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture
* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode
* Doric dialect (Scotland)
* Doric ...
form, (), is more archaic, as it is derived from an earlier . It probably is a cognate to the Doric month ''Apellaios'' (),
and the offerings () at the initiation of the young men during the family-festival (). According to some scholars, the words are derived from the Doric word (), which originally meant "wall," "fence for animals" and later "assembly within the limits of the square."
[The word usually appears in plural: Hesychius: (), ("folds"), ("assemblies"), ("elections"): Nilsson, Vol. I, p. 556] Apella
The ecclesia or ekklesia (Greek: ἐκκλησία) was the citizens' assembly in the Ancient Greek city-state of Sparta. Unlike its more famous counterpart in Athens, the Spartan assembly had limited powers, as it did not debate; citizens coul ...
() is the name of the popular assembly in Sparta,
[ corresponding to the (). R. S. P. Beekes rejected the connection of the theonym with the noun and suggested a Pre-Greek proto-form *''Apalyun''.
Several instances of ]popular etymology
A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...
are attested from ancient authors. Thus, the Greeks most often associated Apollo's name with the Greek verb (), "to destroy". Plato in ''Cratylus
Cratylus ( ; grc, Κρατύλος, ''Kratylos'') was an ancient Athenian philosopher from the mid-late 5th century BCE, known mostly through his portrayal in Plato's dialogue '' Cratylus''. He was a radical proponent of Heraclitean philosophy ...
'' connects the name with (), "redemption", with (''apolousis''), "purification", and with (), "simple", in particular in reference to the Thessalian form of the name, , and finally with (), "ever-shooting". Hesychius connects the name Apollo with the Doric (), which means "assembly", so that Apollo would be the god of political life, and he also gives the explanation (), "fold", in which case Apollo would be the god of flocks and herds. In the ancient Macedonian language () means "stone," and some toponyms
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
may be derived from this word: (Pella
Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great.
On site of the ancient c ...
, the capital of ancient Macedonia
Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...
) and (''Pellēnē''/''Pellene
Pellene (; grc, Πελλήνη; grc-x-doric, Πελλάνα or Πελλίνα) was a city and polis (city-state) of ancient Achaea, the most easterly of the twelve Achaean cities (the Achaean League). Its territory bordered upon that of Sicyon ...
'').
The Hittite form ''Apaliunas
Apaliunas ( Hittite: 𒀀𒀊𒉺𒇷𒌋𒈾𒀸 ''Āppaliunāš'') is the name of a god, attested in a Hittite language treaty as a protective deity of Wilusa. Apaliunas is considered to be the Hittite reflex of ''*Apeljōn'', an early form of t ...
'' (''d'') is attested in the Manapa-Tarhunta letter. The Hittite testimony reflects an early form ', which may also be surmised from comparison of Cypriot with Doric . The name of the Lydian god ''Qλdãns'' /kʷʎðãns/ may reflect an earlier /kʷalyán-/ before palatalization, syncope, and the pre-Lydian sound change *y ''>'' d. Note the labiovelar in place of the labial /p/ found in pre-Doric ''Ἀπέλjων'' and Hittite ''Apaliunas''.
A Luwian
The Luwians were a group of Anatolian peoples who lived in central, western, and southern Anatolia, in present-day Turkey, during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. They spoke the Luwian language, an Indo-European language of the Anatolian sub-fam ...
etymology suggested for ''Apaliunas'' makes Apollo "The One of Entrapment", perhaps in the sense of "Hunter".
Greco-Roman epithets
Apollo's chief epithet was Phoebus ( ; , ''Phoibos'' ), literally "bright". It was very commonly used by both the Greeks and Romans for Apollo's role as the god of light. Like other Greek deities, he had a number of others applied to him, reflecting the variety of roles, duties, and aspects ascribed to the god. However, while Apollo has a great number of appellations in Greek myth, only a few occur in Latin literature
Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings written in the Latin language. The beginning of formal Latin literature dates to 240 BC, when the first stage play in Latin was performed in Rome. Latin literature ...
.
Sun
*Aegletes ( ; Αἰγλήτης, ''Aiglētēs''), from , "light of the sun"
*Helius ( ; , '' Helios''), literally "sun"
*Lyceus
The Apollo Lyceus ( el, Ἀπόλλων Λύκειος, ''Apollōn Lukeios'') type, also known as Lycean Apollo, originating with Praxiteles and known from many full-size statue and figurine copies as well as from 1st century BCE Athenian coinage ...
( ; , ''Lykeios'', from Proto-Greek *), "light". The meaning of the epithet "Lyceus" later became associated with Apollo's mother Leto, who was the patron goddess of Lycia () and who was identified with the wolf ().
*Phanaeus ( ; , ''Phanaios''), literally "giving or bringing light"
*Phoebus ( ; , ''Phoibos''), literally "bright", his most commonly used epithet by both the Greeks and Romans
*Sol
Sol or SOL may refer to:
Astronomy
* The Sun
Currency
* SOL Project, a currency project in France
* French sol, or sou
* Argentine sol
* Bolivian sol, the currency of Bolivia from 1827 to 1864
* Peruvian sol, introduced in 1991
* Peruvian sol ...
(Roman) (), "sun" in Latin
Wolf
*Lycegenes ( ; , ''Lukēgenēs''), literally "born of a wolf" or "born of Lycia"
*Lycoctonus ( ; , ''Lykoktonos''), from , "wolf", and , "to kill"
Origin and birth
Apollo's birthplace was Mount Cynthus on the island of Delos.
*Cynthius ( ; , ''Kunthios''), literally "Cynthian"
*Cynthogenes ( ; , ''Kynthogenēs''), literally "born of Cynthus"
*Delius ( ; Δήλιος, ''Delios''), literally "Delian"
*Didymaeus ( ; , ''Didymaios'') from δίδυμος, "twin", as the twin of Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with Sel ...
Place of worship
Delphi and Actium
Actium or Aktion ( grc, Ἄκτιον) was a town on a promontory in ancient Acarnania at the entrance of the Ambraciot Gulf, off which Octavian gained his celebrated victory, the Battle of Actium, over Antony and Cleopatra, on September 2, 31& ...
were his primary places of worship.
*Acraephius ( ; , ''Akraiphios'', literally "Acraephian") or Acraephiaeus ( ; , ''Akraiphiaios''), "Acraephian", from the Boeotia
Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia ( el, Βοιωτία; modern: ; ancient: ), formerly known as Cadmeis, is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, and it ...
n town of Acraephia (), reputedly founded by his son Acraepheus
Acraepheus ( Ancient Greek: Ἀκραιφεύς) was, in Greek mythology, a son of Apollo to whom the foundation of the town of Acraephnium, a Boeotian town on the lake Copais, was ascribed. In Acraephnium, Apollo was attached with the epithet A ...
.
*Actiacus ( ; , ''Aktiakos''), literally "Actian", after Actium ()
*Delphinius ( ; , ''Delphinios''), literally "Delphic", after Delphi (Δελφοί). An etiology
Etiology (pronounced ; alternatively: aetiology or ætiology) is the study of causation or origination. The word is derived from the Greek (''aitiología'') "giving a reason for" (, ''aitía'', "cause"); and ('' -logía''). More completely, e ...
in the '' Homeric Hymns'' associated this with dolphins.
*Epactaeus
In Greek mythology, Epactaeus, Epactius, Epaktaios or Epaktios – that is, the god worshipped on the coast – was used as a surname of Poseidon in Samos, and of Apollo.Orph. Argon. 1296; Apollon. Rhod. i. 404. (cited by Schmitz)
Notes
Referen ...
, meaning "god worshipped on the coast", in Samos.
*Pythius ( ; , ''Puthios'', from Πυθώ, ''Pythō''), from the region around Delphi
* Smintheus ( ; , ''Smintheus''), "Sminthian"—that is, "of the town of Sminthos or Sminthe"[.] near the Troad town of Hamaxitus
*Napaian Apollo (Ἀπόλλων Ναπαῖος), from the city of Nape
The nape is the back of the neck. In technical anatomical/medical terminology, the nape is also called the nucha (from the Medieval Latin rendering of the Arabic , "spinal marrow"). The corresponding adjective is ''nuchal'', as in the term ''nu ...
at the island of Lesbos
Lesbos or Lesvos ( el, Λέσβος, Lésvos ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece. It is separated from Asia Minor by the na ...
Healing and disease
*Acesius ( ; , ''Akesios''), from , "healing". Acesius was the epithet of Apollo worshipped in Elis
Elis or Ilia ( el, Ηλεία, ''Ileia'') is a historic region in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It is administered as a regional unit of the modern region of Western Greece. Its capital is Pyrgos. Until 2011 it w ...
, where he had a temple in the agora
The agora (; grc, ἀγορά, romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. It is the best representation of a city-state's response to accommodate the social and political order of t ...
.[ At the Perseus Project.]
*Acestor Acestor ( Ancient Greek: ), meaning "healer" or "saviour", was the name of several figures in Classical mythology and history:
''Mythological''
*Apollo Acestor, an epithet of the god Apollo in his role as healer or averter of evil.
*Acestor, son o ...
( ; , ''Akestōr''), literally "healer"
*Culicarius (Roman) ( ), from Latin ''culicārius'', "of midges"
*Iatrus ( ; , ''Iātros''), literally "physician"
*Medicus (Roman) ( ), "physician" in Latin. A temple was dedicated to ''Apollo Medicus'' at Rome, probably next to the temple of Bellona Bellona may refer to:
Places
*Bellona, Campania, a ''comune'' in the Province of Caserta, Italy
* Bellona Reef, a reef in New Caledonia
*Bellona Island, an island in Rennell and Bellona Province, Solomon Islands
Ships
* HMS ''Bellona'' (1760), a 7 ...
.
* Paean ( ; , ''Paiān''), physician, healer
*Parnopius ( ; , ''Parnopios''), from , "locust"
Founder and protector
* Agyieus ( ; , ''Aguīeus''), from , "street", for his role in protecting roads and homes
*Alexicacus
Alexikakos ( Ancient Greek: ), the "averter of evil", was an epithet given by the ancient Greeks to several deities such as Zeus and Apollo, who was worshipped under this name by the Athenians, because he was believed to have stopped the plague whi ...
( ; , ''Alexikakos''), literally "warding off evil"
*Apotropaeus ( ; , ''Apotropaios''), from , "to avert"
* Archegetes ( ; , ''Arkhēgetēs''), literally "founder"
*Averruncus (Roman) ( ; from Latin ''āverruncare''), "to avert"
*Clarius ( ; , ''Klārios''), from Doric Doric may refer to:
* Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece
** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians
* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture
* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode
* Doric dialect (Scotland)
* Doric ...
, "allotted lot"
*Epicurius ( ; , ''Epikourios''), from , "to aid"[
*Genetor ( ; , ''Genetōr''), literally "ancestor"][
*Nomius ( ; , ''Nomios''), literally "pastoral"
*Nymphegetes ( ; , ''Numphēgetēs''), from , "Nymph", and , "leader", for his role as a protector of shepherds and pastoral life
*Patroos from , "related to one's father," for his role as father of ]Ion
An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge.
The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conv ...
and founder of the Ionians
The Ionians (; el, Ἴωνες, ''Íōnes'', singular , ''Íōn'') were one of the four major tribes that the Greeks considered themselves to be divided into during the ancient period; the other three being the Dorians, Aeolians, and Achaea ...
, as worshipped at the Temple of Apollo Patroos The Temple of Apollo Patroos (meaning "from the fathers") is a small ruined temple of Ionic order built in 340–320 BCE. It is 10 m wide and 16.5 m long, and is located north-west of the Ancient Agora of Athens, near the Stoa of Zeus.
Apollo was c ...
in Athens
* Sauroctunos, "lizard killer", possibly a reference to his killing of Python
Python may refer to:
Snakes
* Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia
** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia
* Python (mythology), a mythical serpent
Computing
* Python (pr ...
Prophecy and truth
*Coelispex (Roman) ( ), from Latin ''coelum'', "sky", and ''specere'' "to look at"
*Iatromantis ( ; , ''Iātromantis'',) from , "physician", and , "prophet", referring to his role as a god both of healing and of prophecy
*Leschenorius ( ; , ''Leskhēnorios''), from , "converser"
*Loxias ( ; , ''Loxias''), from , "to say",[ historically associated with , "ambiguous"
*Manticus ( ; , ''Mantikos''), literally "prophetic"
*Proopsios (), meaning "foreseer" or "first seen"
]
Music and arts
*Musagetes ( ; Doric Doric may refer to:
* Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece
** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians
* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture
* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode
* Doric dialect (Scotland)
* Doric ...
, ''Mousāgetās''), from , " Muse", and "leader"
*Musegetes ( ; , ''Mousēgetēs''), as the preceding
Archery
*Aphetor ( ; , ''Aphētōr''), from , "to let loose"
*Aphetorus ( ; , ''Aphētoros''), as the preceding
*Arcitenens (Roman) ( ), literally "bow-carrying"
*Argyrotoxus ( ; , ''Argyrotoxos''), literally "with silver bow"
*Clytotoxus ( ; , ''Klytótoxos''), "he who is famous for his bow", the renowned archer.
*Hecaërgus ( ; , ''Hekaergos''), literally "far-shooting"
*Hecebolus ( ; , ''Hekēbolos''), "far-shooting"
*Ismenius ( ; , ''Ismēnios''), literally "of Ismenus", after Ismenus, the son of Amphion
There are several characters named Amphion in Greek mythology:
* Amphion, son of Zeus and Antiope, and twin brother of Zethus (see Amphion and Zethus). Together, they are famous for building Thebes. Pausanias recounts an Egyptian legend accord ...
and Niobe, whom he struck with an arrow
Appearance
* Acersecomes (, ''Akersekómēs''), "he who has unshorn hair", the eternal ephebe.
* Chrysocomes ( ; , ''Khrusokómēs''), literally "he who has golden hair."
Amazons
* Amazonius (), Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to:
* Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium''
*Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC
* Pausanias of Sicily, physician of ...
at the Description of Greece
Pausanias ( /pɔːˈseɪniəs/; grc-gre, Παυσανίας; c. 110 – c. 180) was a Greek traveler and geographer of the second century AD. He is famous for his ''Description of Greece'' (, ), a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece ...
writes that near Pyrrhichus Pyrrhichus or Pyrrhichos ( grc, Πύρριχος) was a town of ancient Laconia, situated about the centre of the promontory ending in Cape Taenarum, and distant 40 '' stadia'' from the river Scyras. According to some it derived its name from Pyr ...
there was a sanctuary of Apollo, called Amazonius ( grc, Ἀμαζόνιος) with image of the god said to have been dedicated by the Amazons
In Greek mythology, the Amazons ( Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules ...
.
Other
*Patroos (Πατρώος, ancestral), there is the Temple of Apollo Patroos The Temple of Apollo Patroos (meaning "from the fathers") is a small ruined temple of Ionic order built in 340–320 BCE. It is 10 m wide and 16.5 m long, and is located north-west of the Ancient Agora of Athens, near the Stoa of Zeus.
Apollo was c ...
at the Ancient Agora of Athens
The ancient Agora of Athens (also called the Classical Agora) is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill kn ...
Celtic epithets and cult titles
Apollo was worshipped throughout the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
. In the traditionally Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foo ...
lands, he was most often seen as a healing and sun god. He was often equated with Celtic gods
The gods and goddesses of the pre-Christian Celtic peoples are known from a variety of sources, including ancient places of worship, statues, engravings, cult objects and place or personal names. The ancient Celts appear to have had a pantheon ...
of similar character.
* Apollo Atepomarus
Atepomarus in Celtic Gaul was a healing god. Mauvières (Indre), Apollo was associated with this god in the form Apollo Atepomarus.
At some of Apollo's healing sanctuaries (as at Sainte-Sabine, Burgundy) small figurines of horses were associat ...
("the great horseman" or "possessing a great horse"). Apollo was worshipped at Mauvières
Mauvières () is a commune in the Indre department in central France.
Geography
The commune is located in the parc naturel régional de la Brenne.
The river Anglin forms most of the commune's western border.
Population
See also
*Communes ...
( Indre). Horses were, in the Celtic world, closely linked to the sun.
* Apollo Belenus
Belenus (Gaulish: ''Belenos'', ''Belinos'') is an ancient Celtic healing god. The cult of Belenus stretched from the Italian Peninsula to the British Isles, with a main sanctuary located at Aquileia, on the Adriatic coast. Through ''interpretati ...
("bright" or "brilliant"). This epithet was given to Apollo in parts of Gaul, Northern Italy and Noricum (part of modern Austria). Apollo Belenus was a healing and sun god.
* Apollo Cunomaglus Cunomaglus ("Hound Lord") is the epithet of a Celtic god identified with Apollo.
A temple at Nettleton Shrub in Wiltshire was dedicated to Apollo Cunomaglus, existing shortly after 69 AD. In the 3rd Century BC it developed into a major cult centre ...
("hound lord"). A title given to Apollo at a shrine at Nettleton Shrub, Wiltshire. May have been a god of healing. Cunomaglus himself may originally have been an independent healing god.
* Apollo Grannus. Grannus was a healing spring god, later equated with Apollo.[Divinites et sanctuaires de la Gaule, E. Thevonat, 1968, Paris][La religion des Celtes, J. de Vries, 1963, Paris]
* Apollo Maponus. A god known from inscriptions in Britain. This may be a local fusion of Apollo and Maponus.
* Apollo Moritasgus
Moritasgus is a Celtic epithet for a healing god found in four inscriptions at Alesia. In two inscriptions, he is identified with the Greco-Roman god Apollo. His consort was the goddess Damona.
Etymology
The name ''Moritasgus'', shared by ...
("masses of sea water"). An epithet for Apollo at Alesia, where he was worshipped as god of healing and, possibly, of physicians.
* Apollo Vindonnus
Belenus (Gaulish: ''Belenos'', ''Belinos'') is an ancient Celtic healing god. The cult of Belenus stretched from the Italian Peninsula to the British Isles, with a main sanctuary located at Aquileia, on the Adriatic coast. Through ''interpretati ...
("clear light"). Apollo Vindonnus had a temple at Essarois
Essarois () is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a g ...
, near Châtillon-sur-Seine
Châtillon-sur-Seine (, ) is a commune of the Côte-d'Or department, eastern France.
The Musée du Pays Châtillonnais is housed in old abbey of Notre-Dame de Châtillon, within the town, known for its collection of pre-Roman and Roman reli ...
in present-day Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former Regions of France, administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Duke of Burgundy, Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11 ...
. He was a god of healing, especially of the eyes.[
* ]Apollo Virotutis Virotutis is a Celtic epithet of the god Apollo. The epithet has been interpreted as meaning "Benefactor of humanity". Apollo Virotutis was worshipped at, among other places, Fins d'Annecy ( Haute-Savoie) and at Jublains
Jublains () is a commun ...
("benefactor of mankind"). Apollo Virotutis was worshipped, among other places, at Fins d'Annecy ( Haute-Savoie) and at Jublains
Jublains () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.
History
Jublains, formerly spelled Jubleins, is the site of ancient Noeodunum (also spelled Noiodunum or Noviodunum), the capital of the ancient Gallic tribe of th ...
( Maine-et-Loire).[
]
Origins
The cult centers of Apollo in Greece, Delphi and Delos, date from the 8th century BCE. The Delos sanctuary was primarily dedicated to Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with Sel ...
, Apollo's twin sister. At Delphi, Apollo was venerated as the slayer of the monstrous serpent Python
Python may refer to:
Snakes
* Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia
** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia
* Python (mythology), a mythical serpent
Computing
* Python (pr ...
. For the Greeks, Apollo was the most Greek of all the gods, and through the centuries he acquired different functions. In Archaic Greece
Archaic Greece was the period in Greek history lasting from circa 800 BC to the second Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC, following the Greek Dark Ages and succeeded by the Classical period. In the archaic period, Greeks settled across the ...
he was the prophet, the oracular god who in older times was connected with "healing". In Classical Greece
Classical Greece was a period of around 200 years (the 5th and 4th centuries BC) in Ancient Greece,The "Classical Age" is "the modern designation of the period from about 500 B.C. to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 B.C." ( Thomas R. Marti ...
he was the god of light and of music, but in popular religion he had a strong function to keep away evil. Walter Burkert discerned three components in the prehistory of Apollo worship, which he termed "a Dorian-northwest Greek component, a Cretan-Minoan component, and a Syro-Hittite component."
Healer and god-protector from evil
In classical times, his major function in popular religion was to keep away evil, and he was therefore called "apotropaios" (, "averting evil") and "alexikakos" ( "keeping off ill"; from v. + n. ). Apollo also had many epithets relating to his function as a healer. Some commonly-used examples are "paion" ( literally "healer" or "helper") "epikourios" (, "succouring"), "oulios" (, "healer, baleful") and "loimios" (, "of the plague"). In later writers, the word, "paion", usually spelled "Paean", becomes a mere epithet of Apollo in his capacity as a god of healing.
Apollo in his aspect of "healer" has a connection to the primitive god Paean (), who did not have a cult of his own. Paean serves as the healer of the gods in the '' Iliad'', and seems to have originated in a pre-Greek religion. It is suggested, though unconfirmed, that he is connected to the Mycenaean figure ''pa-ja-wo-ne'' (Linear B: ).[ At Google Books.] Paean was the personification of holy songs sung by "seer-doctors" (), which were supposed to cure disease.
Homer illustrated Paeon the god and the song both of apotropaic
Apotropaic magic (from Greek "to ward off") or protective magic is a type of magic intended to turn away harm or evil influences, as in deflecting misfortune or averting the evil eye. Apotropaic observances may also be practiced out of supers ...
thanksgiving or triumph. Such songs were originally addressed to Apollo and afterwards to other gods: to Dionysus, to Apollo Helios, to Apollo's son Asclepius
Asclepius (; grc-gre, Ἀσκληπιός ''Asklēpiós'' ; la, Aesculapius) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis, or Arsinoe, or of Apollo alone. Asclepius represen ...
the healer. About the 4th century BCE, the paean became merely a formula of adulation; its object was either to implore protection against disease and misfortune or to offer thanks after such protection had been rendered. It was in this way that Apollo had become recognized as the god of music. Apollo's role as the slayer of the Python
Python may refer to:
Snakes
* Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia
** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia
* Python (mythology), a mythical serpent
Computing
* Python (pr ...
led to his association with battle and victory; hence it became the Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
custom for a paean to be sung by an army on the march and before entering into battle, when a fleet left the harbour, and also after a victory had been won.
In the ''Iliad'', Apollo is the healer under the gods, but he is also the bringer of disease and death with his arrows, similar to the function of the Vedic
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
god of disease Rudra.["The conception that the diseases come from invisible shots sent by magicians or supernatural beings is common in primitive people and also in European folklore. In North-Europe they speak of the "]Elf-shot
In English folklore, elf-arrows, elf-bolts and pixie arrows were names given to discovered arrowheads of flint, used in hunting and war by the Pre-Indo-Europeans of the British Isles and of Europe generally. The name derives from the folklore ...
s". In Sweden where the Lapps were called magicians, they speak of the "Lappen-shots". Martin Nilsson (1967). Vol I, p. 541 He sends a plague () to the Achaeans. Knowing that Apollo can prevent a recurrence of the plague he sent, they purify themselves in a ritual and offer him a large sacrifice of cows, called a hecatomb
In ancient Greece, a hecatomb (; ; grc, ἑκατόμβη ''hekatómbē'') was a sacrifice of 100 cattle (''hekaton'' = one hundred, ''bous'' = bull) to the Greek gods. In practice, as few as 12 could make up a hecatomb.
Although originally the ...
.
Dorian origin
The '' Homeric Hymn to Apollo'' depicts Apollo as an intruder from the north. The connection with the northern-dwelling Dorians
The Dorians (; el, Δωριεῖς, ''Dōrieîs'', singular , ''Dōrieús'') were one of the four major ethnic groups into which the Hellenes (or Greeks) of Classical Greece divided themselves (along with the Aeolians, Achaeans, and Ionians ...
and their initiation festival '' apellai'' is reinforced by the month ''Apellaios'' in northwest Greek calendars. The family-festival was dedicated to Apollo ( Doric_Doric_may_refer_to:
*_Doric,_of_or_relating_to_the_Dorians_of_ancient_Greece
**_Doric_Greek,_the_dialects_of_the_Dorians
*_Doric_order,_a_style_of_ancient_Greek_architecture
*_Doric_mode,_a_synonym_of_Dorian_mode
*_Doric_dialect_(Scotland)
*_Doric__...
:_)._''Apellaios''_is_the_month_of_these_rites,_and_Apellon_is_the_"megistos_kouros"_(the_great_Kouros)._However_it_can_explain_only_the_Doric_type_of_the_name,_which_is_connected_with_the_Ancient_Macedonian_language.html" ;"title="div class="linkinfo_desc">