A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

APOLLO. APOLLO. 231
self (Apollodorus states, that Apollo received the graphers, and philosophers, and according to which
pavrrcur from Pan), and Apollo is accordingly Apollo was identical with Helios, or the Sun. In
called "the prophet of his father Zeus." (Aeschyl. Homer and for some centuries after his time Apollo
Eum. 19); but he had nevertheless the power of and Helios are perfectly distinct. The question
communicating the gift of prophecy both to gods which here presents itself, is, whether the idea of
and men, and all the ancient seers and prophets the identity of the two divinities was the original
are placed in some relationship to him. (Horn. II. and primitive one, and was only revived in later
i. 72, Hymn. in Mere. 3, 471.) The manner in times, or whether it was the result of later specuwhich Apollo came into the possession of the oracle lations and of foreign, chiefly Egyptian, influence.
of Delphi (Pytho) is related differently. According Each of these two opinions has had its able advoto Apollodorus, the oracle had previously been in cates. The former, which has been maintained by
the possession of Themis, and the dragon Python Buttmann and Hermann, is supported by strong
guarded the mysterious chasm, and Apollo, after arguments. In the time of Callimachus, some perhaving slain the monster, took possession of the sons distinguished between Apollo and Helios, for
oracle. According to Hyginus, Python himself which they were censured by the poet. (Fragm. 48,
possessed the oracle; while Pausanias (x. 3. ~ 5) ed. Bentley.) Pausanias (vii. 23. ~ 6) states, that
states, that it belonged to Gaea and Poseidon in he met a Sidonian who declared the two gods to
common. (Comp. Eurip. Iphig. Taur. 1246, &c.; be identical, and Pausanias adds, that this was
Athen. xv. p. 701.; Ov. Met. i. 439; Apollon. quite in accordance with the belief of the Greeks.
Rhod. ii. 706.) (Comp. Strab. xiv. p. 635; Plut. de El ap. Delph. 4,
4. The god of song and music. We find him in de DefJ Orac. 7.) It has further been said, that if
the Iliad (i. 603) delighting the immortal gods Apollo be regarded as the Sun, the powers and
with his play on the phorminx during their re- attributes which we have enumerated above are
past; and the Homeric bards derived their art of easily explained and accounted for; that the sursong either from Apollo or the Muses. (Od. viii. name of colos (the shining or brilliant), which is
488, with Eustath.) Later traditions ascribed to frequently applied to Apollo in the Homeric poems,
Apollo even the invention of the flute and lyre points to the sun; and lastly, that the traditions
(Callim. 1Hymn. in Del. 253; Plut. de Mius.), while concerning the Hyperboreans and their worship of
the more common tradition was, that he received Apollo bear the strongest marks of their regarding
the lyre from Hermes. Ovid (Heroid. xvi. 180) the god in the same light. (Alcaeus, ap. Himer.
makes Apollo build the walls of Troy by playing xiv. 10; Diod. ii. 47.) Still greater stress is laid
on the lyre, as Amphion did the walls of Thebes. on the fact that the Egyptian Horus was regarded
Respecting his musical contests, see MARSYAs, as identical with Apollo (Herod. ii. 144, 156;
MIDAs. Diod. i. 25; Plut. de Is. et Os. 12, 61; Aelian,
5. The god zwho protects the flocks and cattle Hist. An. x. 14), as Horus is usually considered
(Vidtos SEds, from vouds or voet, a meadow or as the god of the burning sun. Those who adopt
pasture land). Homer (II. ii. 766) says, that this view derive Apollo from the East or from
Apollo reared the swift steeds of Eumelus Phere- Egypt, and regard the Athenian'Aro'vAwv v r-rpcos
tiades in Pieria, and according to the Homeric as the god who was brought to Attica by the
hymn to Hermes (22, 70, &c.) the herds of the Egyptian colony under Cecrops. Another set of
gods fed in Pieria under the care of Apollo. At accounts derives the worship of Apollo from the
the command of Zeus, Apollo guarded the cattle of very opposite quarter of the world-from the counLaomedon in the valleys of mount Ida. (II. xxi. try of the Hyperboreans, that is, a nation living
488.) There are in Homer only a few allusions to beyond the point where the north wind rises, and
this feature in the character of Apollo, but in later whose country is in consequence most happy and
writers it assumes a very prominent form (Pind. fruitful. According to a fragment of an ancient
Pyth. ix. 114; Callim. Hymn. in Apoll. 50, &c.): Doric hymn in Pausanias (x. 5. ~ 4), the oracle of
and in the story of Apollo tending the flocks of Delphi was founded by Hyperboreans and Olenus;
Admetus at Pherae in Thessaly, on the banks of Leto, too, is said to have come from the Hyperbothe river Amphrysus, the idea reaches its height. reans to Delos, and Eileithyia likewise. (Herod.
(Apollod. i. 9. ~ 15; Eurip. Alcest. 8; Tibull. ii. 3. iv. 33, &c.; Paus. i. 18. ~ 4; Diod. ii. 47.) The
11; Virg. Georg. iii. 2.) Hyperboreans, says Diodorus, worship Apollo more
6. THe god who delights in the foundation of towns zealously than any other people; they are all
and the establishment of civil constitutions. His priests of Apollo; one town in their country is
assistance in the building of Troy was mentioned sacred to Apollo, and its inhabitants are for the
above; respecting his aid in raising the walls of most part players on the lyre. (Comp. Pind. Pyth.
Megara, see ALCATHOUS. Pindar (Pyth. v. 80) x. 55, &c.)
calls Apollo the dpx7yyEys, or the leader of the These opposite accounts respecting the original
Dorians in their migration to Peloponnesus; and seat of the worship of Apollo might lead us to
this idea, as well as the one that he delighted suppose, that they refer to two distinct divinities,
in the foundation of cities, seems to be intimately which were in the course of time united into one,
connected with the circumstance, that a town or a as indeed Cicero (de Nat. Deor. iii. 23) distincolony was never founded by the Greeks without guishes four different Apollos. Miiller has re"consulting an oracle of Apollo, so that in every jected most decidedly and justly the hypothesis,
ease he became, as it were, their spiritual leader, that Apollo was derived from Egypt; but he re'he epithets Krinri)s and olcioris (see Bdckh, ad jects at the same time, without very satisfactory
Pind.. c.) refer to this part in the character of reasons, the opinion that Apollo was connected
Apollo. with the worship of nature or any part of it; for,
These characteristics of Apollo necessarily ap- according to him, Apollo is a purely spiritual divicear in a peculiar light, if we adopt the view which nity, and far above all the other gods of Olympus.,vas almost universal among the later poets, mytho- As regards the identity of Apollo and Helios, he