Apollo
Apollo is the Greek god of prophecy, music, healing, and archery, and the twin brother of Artemis. His stories link beauty and order with sudden violence. In classic books, he gives warnings, inspires poets, and punishes those who challenge or dishonour him.
Key stories of Apollo
Apollo and Daphne
Apollo pursues Daphne, who wants to escape him. In the most common version, her father, a river god, changes her into a laurel tree, which Apollo then claims as his sacred tree.
In Metamorphoses, Daphne turns into a tree just as Apollo reaches her. He embraces the trunk and declares that laurel will crown his head and honour victors.
In Metamorphoses by Ovid
The plague at Troy
Apollo sends disease through the Greek camp after Agamemnon insults his priest, Chryses. The punishment ends when the Greeks return the priest's daughter and make offerings.
At the opening of The Iliad, Apollo answers Chryses' prayer by striking the Greek camp with his arrows. Achilles calls an assembly to find out why the army is suffering.
In The Iliad by Homer
Apollo's oracle at Delphi
Apollo's sanctuary at Delphi offers prophecies through his priestess. The story of Oedipus shows how attempts to escape a prophecy can help bring it about.
In Oedipus the King, Creon returns from Delphi with Apollo's command to uncover and punish the killer of Laius. Oedipus begins an investigation that exposes his own past.
In Oedipus the King by Sophocles
How to recognise Apollo in stories
- Look for a bow, a lyre, or a laurel wreath.
- Notice references to Delphi, an oracle, or a priestess delivering prophecy.
- Watch for a god who brings healing or sends deadly disease.
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Is Apollo the sun god?
Apollo is associated with the sun, especially in later tradition, but early Greek stories distinguish him from Helios, the sun god. In The Iliad, Apollo's clearest roles concern archery, disease, protection, and divine power rather than driving the sun across the sky.
Why does Apollo wear a laurel wreath?
Apollo wears laurel because the tree is sacred to him and is linked with Daphne's transformation. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, he claims the laurel after Daphne escapes him by becoming a tree. Laurel crowns later signal victory, poetic achievement, and honour.
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