In Homer's "Hymn to Apollo" the handsome god and son of Zeus, ascends Mt. Olympus to charm the gods and goddesses including his sister, Artemis. The Muses, Graces, Seasons, Aphrodite, and Hebe sang and danced in response to his arrival and his music. From here, Apollo set out to establish an oracle.
An oracle is a "divine communication given at a special place through specially appointed persons; also the place itself. This form of divination was found among various peoples of the ancient world". (New Advent Encyclopedia)
When Apollo selected a place that pleased him, he informed the resident nature spirit, Telphousa, he intended to build a temple at her sacred spring. The nymph suggested that Apollo select Delphi as the site for his shrine. Apollo left the spring and continued along his journey when near Delphi, he encountered and killed the enormous serpent Python. To commemorate the even, the god's priestess was named Pythia. This is the mythological explanation for how the oracle of Apollo was established at Delphi.
Works of Art and Apollo
The main attraction at Delphi was the temple of Apollo whose ruins are visible as only broken columns and stones now hidden away as it is along the side of Mt. Parnassus. The defeat of the python is the subject of the ceiling mural in the Apollo Gallery at the Louvre by Delacroix, Another commemoration of the same event is an important sculpture by Rodin showing Apollo triumphant over the dead body of Pytho.
One gallery vase is a red-figured painting showing Apollo's priestess. Pythia who performs the duty of the oracle: the male on the right has come to consult the oracle, while she responds seated in a bronze tripod (an object not normally used as a chair). There is also a painting by John Collier from 1891 with the priestess seen seated over a gaseous fissure.
Whether or not the oracle really had prophetic powers is speculative. The ancient Greeks firmly believed in these messages from Apollo delivered through the Pythia. In modern times, fumes seeping into the known location of the oracle, give rise to a theory that the visions seen and reported by the vestil virgins delivering the messages of Apollo and were hallucinogenic and caused by the fume emissions.
Apollo's Mythological Loves
Apollo was not just a fighter. Like other male gods of Mt. Olympus, he was a lover as well. However, in recurring themes of Apollo's loves in mythology, for such a handsome devil, his relationships with women never seemed to work out. The story of Daphne is a good example.
When Apollo and Cupid (Eros) have a quarrel, Apollo claims to be the master of archery. He ridicules Cupid as just a child with his tiny weapon. Eros' revenge is to cause Apollo to fall in love with Daphne. Then, Cupid shot Daphne with an arrow making her despise Apollo.
Artistic Works of Apollos Loves
Poussin paints this scene of the quarrel between Apollo and cupid. He also painted Apollo taking laurel leaves for himself as a memento of his lost love depicting when Daphne prays to the gods to do anything to let her escape Apollo, The result is her transformation into the laurel tree (Daphne is Greek for laurel tree). There are Roman mosaics and Renaissance paintings by Pollaiuolo of this. A painting by Tiepolo is of Apollo clearly shown with the rays of the sun-god around his head.The Baroque sculpture of Apollo by Bernini, is definitely one of his finest masterpieces, now at the Borghese Gallery in Rome, was produced between 1622-25.
Apollo Belvedere - Ancient Apollo Art and Aerospace
The statue of Apollo belonging to the Vatican is called Apollo Belvedere because of being housed in the Belvedere gallery there on display. Nothing definite is known about the artist or location of this statue of the god when found. It is first mentioned in an inventory taken in 1509 of artwork belonging to the Vatican.
In the 1960s, the name Apollo was given to NASA's manned lunar landing program. No one knows why Apollo's name was chosen for this mission. Apollo is not closely identified with the moon. The sixth and final moon landing was the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, and the mission patch included the head of the Apollo Belvedere