At that very wonderful moment when, proud of his victory, Apollo stood over the monster Python he had slain, he suddenly saw not far from him a young mischief, the god of love Eros. The prankster laughed merrily and also drew his golden bow. The mighty Apollo chuckled and said to the kid:
- What do you want, child, such a formidable weapon? Let's do this: each of us will do our own thing. You go and play, and leave me to send golden arrows. These are the ones I just slain this evil monster. How can you be equal to me, arrowhead?
Offended Eros decided to punish the arrogant god. He narrowed his eyes slyly and answered the proud Apollo:
“Yes, I know, Apollo, that your arrows don't miss. But even you cannot escape my arrow.
Eros flapped his golden wings and in the blink of an eye flew up to high Parnassus. There he drew two golden arrows from his quiver. One arrow that hurts the heart and evokes love, he sent to Apollo. And with another arrow, rejecting love, he pierced the heart of Daphne - a young nymph, daughter of the river god Peneus. The little rascal did his evil deed and, fluttering his openwork wings, flew on. Time passed. Apollo had already forgotten about his meeting with the prankster Eros. He already had a lot to do. And Daphne continued to live as if nothing had happened. She still ran with her nymph friends through the flowering meadows, played, had fun and did not know any worries. Many young gods sought the love of the golden-haired nymph, but she refused everyone. She did not even let any of them come close to her. Her father, old Peny, was already saying to his daughter more and more often:
- When will you bring your son-in-law to me, my daughter? When will you give me grandchildren?
But Daphne only laughed merrily and answered her father:
“Don’t let me be captivated, my dear father. I don't love anyone, and I don't need anyone. I want to be like Artemis, an eternal virgin.
Wise Peny could not understand in any way what happened to his daughter. And the beautiful nymph herself did not know that the insidious Eros was to blame for everything, because he wounded her in the heart with an arrow that kills love.
Once, flying over a forest clearing, the radiant Apollo saw Daphne, and immediately revived in his heart the wound inflicted by the once insidious Eros. Hot love flared up in him. Apollo quickly descended to the ground, without taking his burning gaze from the young nymph, and stretched out his hands to her. But Daphne, as soon as she saw the mighty young god, started to run from him as fast as she could. Apollo, amazed, rushed after his beloved.
- Stop, beautiful nymph, - he called to her, - why are you running away from me like a lamb from a wolf? So the dove flies away from the eagle and the deer runs away from the lion. But I love you. Careful, this is an uneven place, don't fall, I beg you. You hurt your leg, stop.
But the beautiful nymph does not stop, and Apollo begs her again and again:
- You yourself do not know, proud nymph, from whom you are running. After all, I am Apollo, the son of Zeus, and not a mere mortal shepherd. Many call me a healer, but no one can heal my love for you.
Apollo called in vain to the beautiful Daphne. She rushed forward, not making out the road and not listening to his calls. Her clothes fluttered in the wind, golden curls were scattered. Her tender cheeks glowed with a scarlet blush. Daphne became even more beautiful, and Apollo could not stop. He quickened his pace and was already overtaking her. Daphne felt his breath behind her, and she prayed to her father Peney:
- Father, my dear! Help me. Make way, land, take me to you. Change my appearance, he causes me only suffering.
As soon as she uttered these words, she felt that her whole body was numb, the tender girl's chest was covered with a thin crust. Her hands and fingers turned into branches of a flexible laurel, green leaves rustled instead of hair on her head, her light legs were rooted in the ground. Apollo touched the trunk with his hand and felt a tender body still trembling under the fresh bark. He hugs a slender tree, kisses it, strokes flexible branches. But even the tree does not want his kisses and shies away from him.
For a long time, the saddened Apollo stood next to the proud laurel and finally said sadly:
“You didn’t want to accept my love and become my wife, beautiful Daphne. Then you will become my tree. May a wreath of your leaves always adorn my head. And may your greens never fade. Stay forever green!
And the laurel quietly rustled in response to Apollo and, as if in agreement with him, bowed its green peak.
Since then, Apollo fell in love with shady groves, where, among the emerald greenery, proud evergreen laurels stretched towards the light. Accompanied by his beautiful companions, young muses, he wandered here with a golden lyre in his hands. Often he came to his beloved laurel and, sadly bowing his head, fingered the melodious strings of his cithara. The enchanting sounds of music echoed through the surrounding forests, and everything was quiet in enthusiastic attention.
But Apollo did not enjoy a carefree life for long. One day the great Zeus called him to his place and said:
- You have forgotten, my son, about my routine. All who have committed murder must be cleansed from the sin of the shed blood. The sin of killing Python hangs over you too.
Apollo did not argue with his great father and convince him that the villain Python himself brought a lot of suffering to people. And by decision of Zeus, he went to distant Thessaly, where the wise and noble king Admet ruled.
Apollo began to live at the court of Admet and serve him with faith and truth, atoning for his sin. Admetus instructed Apollo to graze the flocks and look after the cattle. And since Apollo became a shepherd for King Admet, not a single bull from his herd was taken away by wild animals, and his long-maned horses became the best in all Thessaly.
But one day Apollo saw that King Admet was sad, he did not eat, he did not drink, he walked completely wilted. And soon the reason for his sadness became clear. It turns out that Admet fell in love with the beautiful Alkesta. This love was mutual, the young beauty also loved the noble Admet. But the father of Pelias, King Iolca, set impossible conditions. He promised to give Alkesta as a wife only to the one who comes to the wedding in a chariot drawn by wild animals - a lion and boars.
Dejected Admet did not know what to do. And not that he was weak or cowardly. No, Tsar Admet was powerful and strong. But he did not even imagine how he could cope with such an overwhelming task.
“Don't be sad,” Apollo said to his master. - There is nothing impossible in this world.
Apollo touched Admet's shoulder, and the king felt his muscles fill with irresistible strength. Joyful, he went into the forest, caught the wild animals and calmly harnessed them to his chariot. The proud Admetus rushed to the palace of Pelias on his unprecedented team, and Pelius gave his daughter Alcesta to the mighty Admetus as his wife.
For eight years Apollo served with the king of Thessaly, until he finally atoned for his sin, and then returned to Delphi. Everyone here has already been waiting for him. The delighted mother, the goddess Leto, rushed to meet him. The beautiful Artemis rushed in from the hunt as soon as she heard that her brother had returned. He climbed to the top of Parnassus, and here he was surrounded by beautiful muses.
Boris Vallejo - Apollo and Daphne
When the light god Apollo, proud of his victory over Python, stood over the monster slain by his arrows, he saw near him the young god of love Eros, pulling his golden bow. Laughing, Apollo told him:
- What do you want, child, such a formidable weapon? Leave me to send the smashing golden arrows with which I have just killed Python. Are you equal to glory with me, arrowhead? Do you want to achieve greater glory than me?
Offended, Eros proudly replied to Apollo:
- Your arrows, Phoebus-Apollo, do not miss, they strike everyone, but my arrow will hit you too.
Eros flapped his golden wings and in the blink of an eye flew up to high Parnassus. There, he took out two arrows from the quiver: one - a wounding heart and causing love, he pierced the heart of Apollo, the other - killing love, he sent into the heart of the nymph Daphne, the daughter of the river god Peneus and the goddess of the earth Gaia.
Apollo and Daphne - Bernini
Once met the beautiful Daphne Apollo and fell in love with her. But as soon as Daphne saw the golden-haired Apollo, she began to run with the speed of the wind, because the arrow of Eros, killing love, pierced her heart. The silver-eyed god hurried after her.
- Stop, beautiful nymph, - he cried, - why are you running from me, like a lamb chased by a wolf, like a dove fleeing from an eagle, you rush! After all, I'm not your enemy! Look, you cut your feet on the sharp thorns of thorns. Oh wait, stop! After all, I am Apollo, the son of the Thunderer Zeus, and not a mere mortal shepherd.
But the beautiful Daphne is running faster and faster. Apollo rushes after her as if on wings. He is getting closer. Now it will overtake! Daphne feels his breath, but her strength leaves her. Daphne prayed to her father Peney:
- Father Penny, help me! Make way quickly, mother earth, and devour me! Oh, take this image from me, it causes me one suffering!
Apollo and Daphne (Jakob Auer)
As soon as she said this, her limbs immediately became numb. The bark covered her delicate body, her hair turned to foliage, and her arms raised to the sky turned into branches.
Apollo and Daphne - Carlo Maratti, 1681
For a long time, the sad Apollo stood in front of the laurel and finally said:
- Let the wreath only from your greenery adorn my head, let from now on you decorate with your leaves both my cithara and my quiver. May it never fade, oh laurel, your greenery. Stay forever green!
Laurus quietly rustled in response to Apollo with its thick branches and, as if in agreement, bowed its green peak.
-
Kuhn N.A., Neikhardt A.A. "Legends and myths of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome" - SPb .: Litera, 1998
Many mythical characters of antiquity were reflected in works of art - paintings, sculptures, frescoes. Apollo and Daphne are no exception, they are depicted in many paintings, and the great sculptor Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini even created a sculpture that is famous all over the world. The story of an unrequited god in love is striking in its tragedy and remains relevant to this day.
The Legend of Apollo and Daphne
Apollo was the god of art, music and poetry. According to legend, once he angered the young god Eros, for which he shot an arrow of love at him. And the second arrow - antipathies - was shot by Eros in the heart of the nymph Daphne, who was the daughter of the river god Peneus. And when Apollo saw Daphne, at first glance, love for this young and beautiful girl was kindled in him. He fell in love and could not take his eyes off her extraordinary beauty.
Struck in the heart by the arrow of Eros, Daphne at first glance felt fear and inflamed with hatred of Apollo. Not sharing his feelings, she ran away. But the faster Daphne tried to run away from the pursuer, the more persistent Apollo was in love. At that moment, when he almost overtook his beloved, the girl prayed, turning to her father and asking for help. The moment she screamed in despair, her legs began to stiffen, rooted to the ground, her arms turned into branches, and her hair became the leaves of a laurel tree. Disappointed Apollo could not come to his senses for a long time, trying to accept the inevitable.
History embodied in art
Apollo and Daphne, whose history is striking with despair and tragedy, inspired many great artists, poets, sculptors throughout history. Artists tried to depict running on their canvases, sculptors tried to convey the power of love and the awareness of the young god Apollo's own powerlessness.
A famous work that reliably reflects the tragedy of this story was the painting by A. Pollaiolo, who in 1470 painted a picture of the same name "Apollo and Daphne". Today, it hangs in the London National Gallery, drawing the eyes of visitors with the realism of the characters depicted. Relief is read on the girl's face, while Apollo is sad and annoyed.
A prominent representative of the Rococo style, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, even portrayed the girl's father in his painting Apollo and Daphne, who helps her avoid her pursuer. However, despair is read on his face, because the price of such deliverance is too high - his daughter will no longer be among the living.
But the most successful piece of art based on the myth can be considered a sculpture by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini "Apollo and Daphne". Its description and history deserve special attention.
Sculpture by Giovanni Bernini
The great Italian sculptor and architect is deservedly considered a genius of the Baroque, his sculptures live and breathe. One of the greatest achievements of G. Bernini, "Apollo and Daphne", is the early work of the sculptor, when he was still working under the patronage of Cardinal Borghese. He created it in the years 1622-1625.
Bernini managed to convey the moment of despair and the way Apollo and Daphne move. The sculpture fascinates with its realism, the runners are in a single rush. Only in the young man is the desire to take possession of the girl visible, and she seeks to slip out of his hands at any cost. The sculpture is made of Carrara marble, its height is 2.43 m. The talent and dedication of Giovanni Bernini allowed him to complete a masterpiece of art in a relatively short time. Today the sculpture is in the Borghese Gallery in Rome.
The history of the creation of sculpture
Like many other sculptures, Giovanni Bernini's Apollo and Daphne sculpture was commissioned by the Italian cardinal Borghese. The sculptor began work on it in 1622, but he had to interrupt for a more urgent assignment from the cardinal. Leaving the statue unfinished, Bernini set to work on David, and then returned to the interrupted work. The statue was completed 3 years later, in 1625.
To justify the presence in the cardinal's collection of a sculpture with a pagan bias, a couplet was invented, describing the morality of the depicted scene between the characters. Its meaning was that the one who runs after ghostly beauty will be left with only branches and leaves in their hands. Today, a sculpture depicting the final scene of a short-term relationship between Apollo and Daphne stands in the middle of one of the gallery halls and is its thematic center.
Features of the created masterpiece
Many visitors to the Borghese Gallery in Rome note that the sculpture causes an ambiguous attitude towards itself. You can look at it many times, and each time you find something new in the features of the depicted gods, in their frozen movement, in the general concept.
Depending on the mood, some see love and a willingness to give everything for the opportunity to possess a beloved girl, others note what relief is depicted in the eyes of a young nymph when her body turns into a tree.
The perception of sculpture also changes depending on the perspective from which it is viewed. No wonder they put it in the center of the gallery hall. This enables each visitor to find their own point of view and form their own vision of the great masterpiece.
Who are Apollo and Daphne? We know the first of this pair as one of the Olympic gods, the son of Zeus, the patron saint of muses and high arts. And what about Daphne? This character in the mythology of Ancient Greece has an equally high origin. Her father was, according to Ovid, the Thessalian river god Peneus. Pausanias considers her the daughter of Ladon, also the patron saint of the river in Arcadia. And the mother of Daphne was the goddess of the earth, Gaia. What happened to Apollo and Daphne? How is this tragic story of unquenched and rejected love revealed in the works of artists and sculptors of later eras? Read about this in this article.
The myth of Daphne and Leucippus
It crystallized in the Hellenistic era and had several options. The most detailed story called "Apollo and Daphne" is described by Ovid in his "Metamorphoses" ("Transformations"). The young nymph lived and was raised under the auspices of Like her, Daphne also took a vow of chastity. A certain mortal fell in love with her - Leucippus. To get close to the beauty, he put on a woman's outfit and braided his hair. His deception was revealed when Daphne and other girls went swimming in Ladona. The offended women tore Leucippus to pieces. Well, what does Apollo have to do with it? - you ask. This is just the beginning of the story. The sun-like son of Zeus at that time only slightly sympathized with Daphne. But even then the insidious god was jealous. The girls exposed Leucippus not without the help of Apollo. But it was not yet love ...
The myth of Apollo and Eros
Influence on art
The plot of the myth "Apollo and Daphne" is one of the most popular in the culture of Hellenism. Ovid Nazon played on him in poetry. Antikov was struck by the transformation of a beautiful girl into an equally beautiful plant. Ovid describes how the face disappears behind the foliage, the tender breast is clothed with bark, the arms raised in supplication become branches, and the brisk legs become roots. But, says the poet, beauty remains. In the art of late antiquity, the nymph was most often also depicted at the time of her miraculous transformation. Only sometimes, as, for example, in the house of the Dioscuri (Pompeii), does the mosaic represent her overtaken by Apollo. But in subsequent eras, artists and sculptors illustrated only the story of Ovid that has come down to descendants. It is in the miniature illustrations for "Metamorphoses" that the plot "Apollo and Daphne" is encountered for the first time in European art. The painting depicts the transformation of a running girl into a laurel.
Apollo and Daphne: sculpture and painting in European art
The era of the Renaissance is called so because it revived interest in Antiquity. Since the century Quadrocento (fifteenth century), the nymph and the Olympic god literally do not leave the paintings of famous masters. The most famous work of Pollaiolo (1470-1480). His Apollo and Daphne is a painting depicting a god in a smart jacket, but with bare legs, and a nymph in a fluttering dress with green branches instead of fingers. This theme became even more popular in the Pursuit of Apollo and the transformation of the nymphs portrayed by Bernini, L. Giordano, Giorgione, G. Tiepolo and even Jan Brueghel. Rubens was not shy about this frivolous theme. In the Rococo era, the plot was no less fashionable.
Apollo and Daphne by Bernini
It is hard to believe that this marble sculptural group is the work of a novice master. However, when the work graced the Roman residence of Cardinal Borghese in 1625, Giovanni was only twenty-six. The two-figure composition is very compact. Apollo almost overtook Daphne. The nymph is still full of movement, but the metamorphosis is already taking place: foliage appears in fluffy hair, velvety skin is covered with bark. Apollo, and after him the viewer, sees that the prey is slipping away. The master masterfully transforms marble into a flowing mass. And we, looking at the sculptural group "Apollo and Daphne" by Bernini, forget that in front of us is a stone block. The figures are so plastic, so directed upward that they seem to be made of ether. The characters don't seem to touch the ground. To justify the presence of this strange group in the house of the clergyman, Cardinal Barberini wrote an explanation: "Anyone seeking the enjoyment of fleeting beauty runs the risk of ending up with palms full of bitter berries and leaves."
Apollo. The myth about Apollo, Daphne, Apollo and the muses. N.A.Kun. Legends and myths of Ancient Greece
Apollo is one of the oldest gods in Greece. Traces of totemism are clearly preserved in his cult. So, for example, in Arcadia they worshiped Apollo, depicted in the form of a ram. Apollo was originally the god of the herds. Gradually, he became more and more the god of light. Later he was considered the patron saint of settlers, the patron saint of the established Greek colonies, and then the patron saint of art, poetry and music. Therefore, in Moscow, on the building of the Bolshoi Academic Theater, there is a statue of Apollo with a lyre in his hands, riding in a chariot drawn by four horses. In addition, Apollo became a god who predicts the future. Throughout the ancient world, his sanctuary in Delphi was famous, where the priestess-pythia gave predictions. These predictions, of course, were made by the priests, who knew well everything that was done in Greece, and were made in such a way that they could be interpreted in one direction or the other. In ancient times, the prediction given in Delphi to the king of Lydia Croesus during his war with Persia was known. He was told: "If you cross the river Galis, you will destroy a great kingdom," but which kingdom, his own or Persian, this was not said.
The birth of Apollo
The god of light, golden-haired Apollo, was born on the island of Delos. His mother Latona, driven by the anger of the goddess Hera, could not find shelter anywhere. Pursued by the dragon Python sent by the Hero, she wandered around the world and finally took refuge on Delos, which in those days was rushing along the waves of the stormy sea. As soon as Latona entered Delos, huge pillars rose from the depths of the sea and stopped this deserted island. He became unshakable in the place where he still stands. All around Delos the sea was rustling. The cliffs of Delos rose dejectedly, bare without the slightest vegetation. Only sea gulls found shelter on these rocks and resounded them with their sad cry. But then the god of light Apollo was born, and streams of bright light flooded everywhere. They filled the rocks of Delos like gold. Everything around bloomed, sparkled: the coastal rocks, and Mount Kint, and the valley, and the sea. The goddesses who had gathered on Delos loudly praised the born god, offering him ambrosia and nectar. All nature around rejoiced along with the goddesses. (Myth about Apollo)
Apollo's fight with Python
and the founding of the Delphic Oracle
A young, radiant Apollo rushed across the azure sky with a cithara (an ancient Greek stringed musical instrument similar to a lyre) in his hands, with a silver bow over his shoulders; golden arrows rang loudly in his quiver. Proud, exultant, Apollo rushed high above the earth, threatening everything evil, everything generated by darkness. He strove to the place where the formidable Python lived, who pursued his mother Latona; he wanted to take revenge on him for all the evil he had done to her.
Apollo quickly reached the gloomy gorge, the abode of Python. Cliffs rose all around, reaching high into the sky. Darkness reigned in the gorge. Along its bottom, a mountain stream was swiftly rushing, gray with foam, and mists swirled over the stream. The terrible Python crawled out of his lair. Its huge body, covered with scales, coiled between the rocks in countless rings. Rocks and mountains trembled with the weight of his body and moved. Furious Python gave everything to devastation, he spread death all around. The nymphs and all living things fled in terror. Python rose, mighty, furious, opened his terrible mouth and was ready to swallow the golden-haired Apollo. Then there was a ringing of the bowstring of a silver bow, like a spark flashed in the air a golden arrow that knew no miss, followed by another, a third; arrows rained down on Python, and he fell lifeless to the ground. The triumphant victory song (pean) of the golden-haired Apollo, the conqueror of Python, sounded loudly, and the golden strings of the god's cithara echoed it. Apollo buried the body of Python in the ground where the sacred Delphi stood, and founded a sanctuary and an oracle in Delphi to divine the will of his father Zeus to people.
From a high bank far out into the sea, Apollo saw a ship of Cretan sailors. Disguised as a dolphin, he rushed into the blue sea, overtook the ship and flew up like a radiant star from the waves at the stern. Apollo brought the ship to the pier of the city of Chris (a city on the shores of the Gulf of Corinth, which served as a harbor for Delphi) and through a fertile valley led the Cretan sailors, playing on a golden cithara, to Delphi. He made them the first priests of his sanctuary. (Myth about Apollo)
Daphne
Based on Ovid's poem "Metamorphoses"
The bright, joyful god Apollo knows grief, and grief befell him. He experienced grief shortly after the victory over Python. When Apollo, proud of his victory, stood over the monster slain by his arrows, he saw near him the young god of love Eros, pulling his golden bow. Laughing, Apollo told him:
- What do you want, child, such a formidable weapon? Leave me to send the smashing golden arrows with which I have just killed Python. Are you equal to glory with me, arrowhead? Do you want to achieve greater glory than me?
Offended Eros proudly replied to Apollo: (The myth of Apollo)
- Your arrows, Phoebus-Apollo, do not miss, they strike everyone, but my arrow will hit you.
Eros flapped his golden wings and in the blink of an eye flew up to high Parnassus. There he took out two arrows from the quiver: one - a wounding heart and one causing love, he pierced the heart of Apollo, the other - killing love, he sent it into the heart of the nymph Daphne, daughter of the river god Peneus.
Once met the beautiful Daphne Apollo and fell in love with her. But as soon as Daphne saw the golden-haired Apollo, she began to run with the speed of the wind, because the arrow of Eros, killing love, pierced her heart. The silver-eyed god hurried after her.
- Stop, beautiful nymph, - Apollo cried, - why are you running away from me, like a lamb chased by a wolf, Like a dove fleeing from an eagle, you rush! After all, I'm not your enemy! Look, you cut your feet on the sharp thorns of thorns. Oh wait, stop! After all, I am Apollo, the son of the thunderer Zeus, and not a mere mortal shepherd,
But the beautiful Daphne was running faster and faster. As on wings, Apollo rushes after her. He is getting closer. Now it will overtake! Daphne feels his breath. The strength leaves her. Daphne prayed to her father Peney:
- Father Penny, help me! Make way quickly, earth, and devour me! Oh, take this image from me, it causes me one suffering!
As soon as she said this, her limbs immediately became numb. The bark covered her delicate body, her hair turned to foliage, and her arms raised to the sky turned into branches. For a long time Apollo stood before the laurel, sad, and finally said:
- Let the wreath only from your greenery adorn my head, let from now on you decorate with your leaves both my cithara and my quiver. May it never fade, oh laurel, your greenery. Stay forever green!
And the laurel quietly rustled in response to Apollo with its thick branches and, as if in agreement, bowed its green peak.
Apollo at Admet
Apollo had to cleanse himself from the sin of the shed blood of Python. After all, he himself purifies people who have committed murder. He retired by decision of Zeus to Thessaly to the beautiful and noble king Admet. There he tended the king's flocks and by this service he atoned for his sin. When Apollo played in the pasture on a reed flute or on a golden cithara, wild animals came out of the thicket, fascinated by his play. Panthers and fierce lions walked peacefully among the herds. Deer and chamois flocked to the sound of the flute. Peace and joy reigned all around. Prosperity settled in the house of Admet; no one had such fruits, his horses and herds were the best in all Thessaly. All this was given to him by the golden-haired god. Apollo helped Admetus get the hand of the daughter of King Iolcus Pelias, Alcesta. Her father promised to give her to wife only to those who would be able to harness a lion and a bear in his chariot. Then Apollo endowed his favorite Admet with invincible strength, and he fulfilled this task of Pelias. Apollo served with Admet for eight years and, after completing his expiatory service, returned to Delphi.
Apollo lives in Delphi in spring and summer. When autumn comes, the flowers wither and the leaves on the trees turn yellow, when the already cold winter is approaching, covering the summit of Parnassus with snow, then Apollo, in his chariot drawn by snow-white swans, is carried away to the land of the Hyperboreans that does not know winter, to the land of eternal spring. He lives there all winter. When everything in Delphi will turn green again, when flowers bloom under the living breath of spring and cover the valley of Chris with a colorful carpet, the golden-haired Apollo returns to Delphi on his swans to divine the will of the thunderer Zeus. Then, in Delphi, they celebrate the return of the soothsayer Apollo from the country of the Hyperboreans. All spring and summer he lives in Delphi, he visits his homeland of Delos, where he also has a magnificent sanctuary.
Apollo and the Muses
In spring and summer, on the slopes of the wooded Helikon, where the sacred waters of the spring of Hippocrene mysteriously murmur, and on high Parnassus, by the clear waters of the Kastalsky spring, Apollo leads a round dance with nine muses. Young, beautiful muses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Goddess of memory), are constant companions of Apollo. He leads the choir of the muses and accompanies their singing by playing on his golden cithara. Apollo walks majestically in front of the chorus of muses, crowned with a laurel wreath, followed by all nine muses: Calliope is the muse of epic poetry, Euterpe is the muse of lyrics, Erato is the muse of love songs, Melpomene is the muse of tragedy, Thalia is the muse of comedy, Terpsichore is the muse of dancing, Clio is the muse of history, Urania is the muse of astronomy and Polyhymnia is the muse of sacred hymns. Their choir solemnly thunders, and all nature, as if enchanted, listens to their divine singing. (The myth of Apollo and the muses)
When Apollo, accompanied by the muses, appears in the host of the gods on the bright Olympus and the sounds of his cithara and the singing of the muses are heard, then everything on Olympus falls silent. Ares forgets about the noise of bloody battles, lightning does not flash in the hands of the cloud-chaser Zeus, the gods forget strife, peace and silence reign on Olympus. Even the eagle of Zeus lowers its mighty wings and closes its keen eyes, one cannot hear his formidable scream, he quietly slumbers on the rod of Zeus. In complete silence, the strings of Apollo's cithara sound solemnly. When Apollo gaily strikes the golden strings of the cithara, then a light, shining round dance moves in the banquet hall of the gods. Muses, charites, the eternally young Aphrodite, Ares and Hermes - all participate in a merry round dance, and in front of all is the majestic maiden, Apollo's sister, the beautiful Artemis. Flooded with streams of golden light, young gods dance to the sound of Apollo's cithara. (The myth of Apollo and the muses)
Sons of Aloe
The distant Apollo is terrible in his anger, and then his golden arrows do not know mercy. Many were amazed by them. They killed the sons of Aloe, Ot and Ephialt, proud of their strength, who did not want to obey anyone. Already in early childhood, they were famous for their enormous growth, their strength and courage that knows no obstacles. While still young men, they began to threaten the Olympian gods Ot and Ephialtes:
“Oh, just let us mature, just let us reach the full measure of our supernatural strength. We will then heap Mount Olympus, Pelion and Ossa (the greatest mountains in Greece on the coast of the Aegean Sea, in Thessaly) one on top of the other and climb them to heaven. We will then kidnap you, Olympians, Hera and Artemis.
So, like the titans, the rebellious sons of Aloeus threatened the Olympians. They would fulfill their threat. After all, they chained the formidable god of war Ares, for thirty months he languished in a copper dungeon. Ares, insatiable with abuse, would have languished in captivity for a long time if it had not been kidnapped, deprived of his strength, by the quick Hermes. Ot and Ephialt were powerful. Apollo did not demolish their threats. The far-striking god drew his silver bow; like sparks of flame, his golden arrows flashed in the air, and Oth and Ephialtes, pierced by the arrows, fell.
Marsyas
Apollo and the Phrygian satyr Marsyas were severely punished for the fact that Marsyas dared to compete with him in music. Kifared (That is, playing the kifar) Apollo did not bear such audacity. One day, wandering through the fields of Phrygia, Marsyas found a reed flute. She was abandoned by the goddess Athena, noticing that playing on the flute invented by her herself disfigures her divinely beautiful face. Athena cursed her invention and said:
- Let the one who picks up this flute be severely punished.
Knowing nothing about what Athena had said, Marsyas raised the flute and soon learned to play it so well that everyone listened to this simple music. Marsyas became proud and challenged the patron saint of music, Apollo, to a competition.
Apollo came to the call in a long, magnificent robe, wearing a laurel wreath and holding a golden cithara.
How insignificant the inhabitant of the forests and fields Marsyas with his pitiful reed flute seemed to the majestic, beautiful Apollo! How could he have made such wonderful sounds from the flute, which flew from the golden strings of the cithara of the leader of the muses Apollo! Apollo won. Angered by the challenge, he ordered to hang the unfortunate Marsyas by the arms and to strip off his living skin. So Marsyas paid for his courage. And the skin of Marsyas was hung in the grotto of Kelen in Phrygia and they told later that she always began to move, as if she danced when the sounds of the Phrygian reed flute reached the grotto, and remained motionless when the majestic sounds of cithara were heard.
Asclepius (Aesculapius)
But not only is Apollo an avenger, not only does he send death with his golden arrows; he cures diseases. The son of Apollo, Asclepius, is the god of doctors and medical arts. The wise centaur Chiron raised Asclepius on the slopes of Pelion. Under his leadership, Asclepius became such a skilled physician that he surpassed even his teacher Chiron. Asclepius not only healed all diseases, but even the dead returned to life. With this, he angered the ruler of the kingdom of the dead, Hades and the thunderer Zeus, since he violated the law and order established by Zeus on earth. Angry Zeus threw his lightning bolt and struck Asclepius. But people deified the son of Apollo as a healer god. They erected many sanctuaries for him, among them the famous sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus.
Apollo was honored throughout Greece. The Greeks revered him as a god of light, a god who cleanses a person from the filth of shed blood, as a god who divines the will of his father Zeus, punishes, sends diseases and heals them. He was revered by the Greek youth as their patron. Apollo is the patron saint of navigation, he helps the founding of new colonies and cities. Artists, poets, singers and musicians are under the special patronage of the leader of the choir of the muses, Apollo Kifared. Apollo is equal to Zeus the Thunderer himself in the worship that the Greeks gave him.
