Leto was the beautiful daughter of the Titans, Koios and Phoibe. She was on of the many non-reigning wives of Zeus and proudly bore him two children: Apollo and Artemis. She travelled far and wide to find a suitable, decent birthplace for her children. Leto finally came to a rocky island of Delos and knew that it would be the perfect birthplace for her glorious children. Delos made Leto swear a great oath on the river Styx, that her new children would not leave their birthplace. Leto swore to this and the twins would soon be born.

The children were glorious. Apollo took up the bow and the Lyre, and Artemis became the clamorous protector of all wild and innocent things.

The punishment to an immortal for insulting or abusing Leto was eternal torture. When Odysseus was in the Underworld, he saw Tityos, the once glorious son of Earth, being attacked by vultures because he had once tried to handle Leto roughly as she travelled in Panopeus.