Apollo

Name: Apollo
Parents: Zeus, Leto
God of: The Sun, Fine Arts, Medicine, Poetry, Eloquence, Prophecy
Symbol: Laurel Tree
Roman Name: Apollo
Also Known As: Hyperion, Helius, Sol, Phoebus
Patron of: Unmarried men, oracles
Notes: Like his sister, Apollo was a patron of the unmarried. Even so, he had many loves, the most famous being Daphne. She did not want to marry him, and her father turned her into a laurel tree to save her from Apollo. From then on, the laurel tree has been Apollo's sacred tree.


Origin of Apollo:
Being his usual self, Zeus wooed the goddess, Leto, and she became pregnant with twins. In a jealous rage, Hera called on Gaia, Mother Earth, to keep Leto from a resting place. Leto finally fled to the island of Delos that had been created for her by Poseidon. Even so, Hera did not allow Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, to let Leto give birth. The other goddesses felt sorry for Leto, so they brought Hera a beautiful necklace made with amber and gold. They promised the give Hera the necklace if she would allow Leto to give birth. Reluctantly, Hera agreed, and Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis.

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