Apollo LECTURE

Themes to Look For

  • The appearance of the dichotomies of stability and chaos

  • Cultic practices and mythology

  • Medicine, intelligence/knowledge, and oracles


Apollo

  • God of enlightenment, knowledge, medicine

    • Epitome of discipline and control

  • Son of Zeus and Leto, brother of Artemis

    • “Most Greek of the gods”

  • Sayings: “Know thyself” and “All things in moderation”

  • Epithets: Phoebus Apollo, far-shooting

  • Attributes: Idealized young man, bow and arrows, lyre

  • Sacred plant: Laurel tree, palm trees

  • Major town of worship: Delphi and Delos

  • Roman name: Apollo


The Birth of Apollo

  • Leto: Mother of Apollo and Artemis

  • Zeus: Father of Apollo and Artemis

  • Hera: Wife of Zeus

  • Delos

  • Eileithyia: Goddess of childbirth

  • Hera doesn’t want Leto to give birth so she hides Eileithyia and Leta is in labor for 7 days


Apollo’s Delos

  • Cyclades/Cycladic Island

  • Home of Delian Apollo

  • Delian Festival to Apollo

  • Deliades


Apollo’s Delphi

  • Home of Pythian Apollo

  • Homeric Hymn to Apollo

    • The She-Dragon

    • 2 names of the area:

      • Pytho: “I rot”

      • Delphi: Delphinius - “Dolphin”

    • Pythian Games: 582 BCE, every 4 years

    • Omphalos: navel of the Earth


Apollo’s Oracle at Delphi

  • Oracle: a priest/priestess acting as a medium or mouthpiece for a/the god(s), delivering advice or prophecy

    • Sibyl: any female oracle

    • Pythia: sibyls at Delphi


Apollo and Daphne

  • Ovid’s Metamorphoses

  • Cupid/Eros: god of love

  • Apollo: god of enlightenment

  • Daphne: daughter of Peneus, river god, naiad (water deity)

  • Repetition of pursued/pursuer archetypes


Apollo’s other Love Affairs

  • Marpessa: Apollo vs. Idas

  • Hyacinthus: Spartan boy

  • Cyparissus: Tragic hunter

  • Cyrene: the athletic nymph

  • Coronis: mortal woman from Thessaly

  • Asclepius: demigod of medicine, medical healing

    • Son of Coronis and Apollo

    • Taught by Chiron (centaur)

    • Attributes: Rod of Asclepius

    • Sacred animal: Snake

    • Major town of worship: Epidaurus

    • Roman name: Aesculapius

      • Process of healing:

        • incubation

        • dream interpretation

        • sacred snakes

        • surgical operations

        • spring water baths and physical exercise