Apulu (), also syncopated as Aplu (), is an epithet of the Etruscan fire god Śuri as chthonic sky god, roughly equivalent to the Greco-Roman god

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

. Their names are associated on Pyrgi inscriptions too. The name Apulu or Aplu did not come directly from

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

but via a Latin center, probably Palestrina. Under the name Apulu, he is known as god of the Sun and light, thunder and lightning, healing and plague, as well as the protector of divination, but he also has volcanic and infernal characteristics. He was also known as Rath, Usil and Vetis, among other names.

Mentions and iconography

He's mentioned as son of

Tinia Tinia (also Tin, Tinh, Tins or Tina) was the sky god and the highest deity in Etruscan religion, equivalent to the Roman Jupiter and the Greek Zeus. However, a primary source from the Roman Varro states that Veltha, not Tins, was the sup ...

and Semla, brother of Fufluns and twin brother of Aritimi. In art, he is depicted with a crown and laurel branches. His most famous representation is the

Apollo of Veii The Apollo of Veii is a life-size painted terracotta Etruscan civilization, Etruscan statue of ''Aplu (deity), Aplu'' (Apollo), designed to be placed at the highest part of a temple. The statue was discovered in the Portonaccio (Veio), Portonacci ...

, attributed to Vulcas. He does not appear on the Liver of Piacenza.

In other cultures

Greco-Roman equivalent

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 and light, poetry, and more. Medicine and healing are associated with Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son

Asclepius Asclepius (; ''Asklēpiós'' ; ) is a hero and god of medicine in ancient Religion in ancient Greece, Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology. He is the son of Apollo and Coronis (lover of Apollo), Coronis, or Arsinoe (Greek myth), Ars ...

. Apollo delivered people from epidemics, yet he is also a god who could bring ill-health and deadly plague with his arrows. The invention of archery itself is credited to Apollo and his sister Artemis. Apollo is also 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. As the god of ''mousike'', Apollo presides over all music, songs, dance and poetry. On the other hand, Apollo also encouraged founding new towns and establishment of civil constitution. He is associated with dominion over

colonists A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among the first settli ...

. He was the giver of laws, and his oracles were consulted before setting laws in a city.

Mentions and iconography

In other cultures

Greco-Roman equivalent

See also

Notes

References

Citations

Works cited

Further reading