Apollo (Greek god)
Apollo is a god of music and prophecy in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He intervenes repeatedly in The IliadThe IliadThe Iliad is an ancient Greek epic traditionally attributed to Homer (epic poet). Centered on the anger of Achilles during the Trojan War, it covers a limited portion of the conflict and ends with Hector’s funeral rather than the fall of Troy.Open the full entry, sending a plague after his priest is dishonored and later arguing for respect for Hector’s body.
Contents5 sections
Key facts
Music, Prophecy and Delphi
Apollo is associated with music and prophecy and frequently appears with the kithara in ancient art. His sanctuary at Delphi was a major destination for those seeking oracles. He and Artemis are mythic twins with distinct functions and attributes.[1]
The Priest and the Plague in The Iliad
In The Iliad Book 1, Chryses seeks the return of his captive daughter but is rejected and threatened by Agamemnon. Apollo answers the priest’s prayer with disaster in the camp. The need to restore the captive leads into the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles.[2]
The Treatment of Hector’s Body
In Book 24, Apollo objects to Achilles’s continuing abuse of Hector’s body. He invokes Hector’s offerings to the gods and his family’s need for funeral rites. Divine intervention here concerns mourning and restraint as well as victory in battle.[3]
Song in The Odyssey
In The OdysseyThe OdysseyThe Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic traditionally attributed to Homer (epic poet). Across 24 books it follows Odysseus’s return to Ithaca after the Trojan War and reunion with Penelope (Greek mythology) and Telemachus, interweaving sea adventures, recognition, household order and human choices.Open the full entry Book 8, OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus is the legendary hero of Ithaca, protagonist of The Odyssey and a Greek leader in The Iliad. His long return from the Trojan War to Penelope (Greek mythology) and Telemachus centers on cunning, disguise, endurance and recognition.Open the full entry praises Demodocus’s knowledge of the Greeks’ experience at Troy, suggesting that the Muse or Apollo taught his art. Apollo is connected here with the authority of song, memory and performance.[4]