IndexIntroductionThe life of ApolloThe traits of ApolloReferencesConclusionIntroductionMythology is everywhere. In fact it has such a hold on our world that our lives would be very different without it. Mythology is the subject of myths and legends, which normally concern imaginary creatures. Myths have been told since the beginning of time. The purpose of these myths is to explain the questions that humanity has always asked: “Who am I? Why am I here? Is there anything else besides me?" (Story) In addition to answering these basic questions, myths were also used to dictate the moral code of early civilizations. Most stories involved a hero learning a valuable lesson as courage, responsibility, or perseverance. The story was then used to help believers follow suit and reach a higher moral standard. (eHow)Say no to plagiarism violent should not be prohibited"? Get an original essay Mythology flourished in the ancient kingdoms of Greece and Egypt, but was also strong in Scandinavia, Africa, and Europe. In the period before Christ, mythology and character worship were prevalent. However, it was Greek mythology that captured the world. Egyptian and Norse mythology is fascinating, but not as well known. However, Greek mythology first began through word of mouth and was passed down from generation to generation. The first written testimony of the Greek gods dates back to 700 BC by the poet Hesiod. He wrote the Theogony, a book that described the origin of the universe and formally introduced the Greek gods to modern scholars. Homer's Iliad was written a century earlier but does not name any of the gods; so it is safe to say that Greek mythology is more than three thousand years old. (History)In Greek mythology there are countless gods and mythical creatures. The main gods are known as Olympians. They are known by this name because they live on the highest mountain in Greece, Mount Olympus. Zeus and Hera are the monarchs of the gods, who rule over the other ten. Each god is the patron of something unique. Ares is the god of war, Demeter is the god of agriculture, and Poseidon is the god of the seas. But for this account we will focus on the god Apollo. (History)The Life of ApolloApollo was the son of Zeus and Leto and brother of Artemis, the goddess of light and the vulnerable. Before she was born, a large python relentlessly pursued Leto, until she finally found a cave and gave birth to both Artemis and Apollo. Pleased with his sons, Zeus gave both young men silver bows and arrows. Zeus became a natural marksman with his new bow and at the age of four days slew the serpent at Delphi. However, the serpent turned out to be an oracle and had previously been the best prophet in all of Greece. Zeus was pleased with his son's determination to slay the beast, but he was also angry that he could no longer consult her about what the future held for him. As punishment he sentenced Apollo to a year among mortals. Before his temporary exile, Apollo learned the art of prophecy. (God and Goddess)While in exile he loyally served King Admetus. Toward the end of his servitude he looked into the man's future and saw his impending death. But he also saw that this could have been avoided if someone had died in his place. No one volunteered except Admetus' wife. After his exile, his silver bow and arrows would play much of his life. Not only had he used them early on to kill the python, but he had now become an expert marksman. But one day they turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing. On one occasion Apollo found Cupid playing with hissilver bow. Apollo became very angry and disciplined Cupid, who then hit Apollo with one of his arrows. Apollo would now fall in love with the next person he saw. Suddenly a beautiful girl named Daphne appeared and Apollo fell in love with her. To further his revenge, Cupid shot Daphne with a lead arrow that would make Daphne hate love and everything about it. Apollo chased Daphne in vain, who eventually transformed herself into a laurel tree to escape him. The laurel is now a symbol of Apollo. Perhaps because of this incident, Apollo never married, although he had numerous affairs and affairs. (God and Goddess) The rest of Apollo's eternal life was pretty boring, except for his help in trying to overthrow Zeus. The overthrow, however, failed. A final notable fact of Apollo's life was his morning and evening work. He rode a golden chariot, took the name Helios, and every day the sun rose and set. (God and Goddess) Traits of Apollo Apollo was one of the most competitive gods, as was his sister. He had to be the best at everything he did. Being the best at his passions was his primary goal. In fact, he even beat some of the other gods in sports like boxing and racing. Luckily for his competitors, he usually won. Apollo was a sore loser and normally punished the winner severely for winning. (God and Goddess) Apollo was an expert in the art of healing. Even though he had mastered the skill of prophecy and was also a great archer, he was the best healer in the world. He could cure any disease. But while he was a fantastic healer, he could also cause plagues that affected cities. After Zeus' failed coup, he was exiled for a year to build the walls of Troy. When he was refused wages, he caused a serious illness to plague the city and the bodies rose higher than the walls. When the king relented, Apollo cured the survivors' illness. Because of his incredible powers, he is the patron god of healing. (God and Goddess)The god Apollo was also a rather jealous God. Her sister Artemis fell in love with a hunter, Orion. Apollo quickly became jealous and reclusive, so he plotted to kill Orion. One day Orion was swimming in the middle of the sea and Apollo challenged Artemis to shoot the "rock" in the middle of the sea. Artemis was a perfect aim like her brother and unknowingly killed her love. When he discovered it he cried and transformed Orion into a constellation. On another occasion he left his pregnant lover Coronis. However, he suspected that she might betray him, so he sent a white raven to watch over her. She actually betrayed him and Apollo killed her. However, he saved his son and named him Asclepius. (God and Goddess)Order and justice were Apollo's most important desires. He doesn't really like chaos on earth and sets up civic courts in multiple cities. He had a high moral sense of right and wrong and imagined a world without corruption and bloodshed. He imagined a utopia. (God and Goddess) Like most other gods, Apollo had several symbols associated with him. A silver bow and arrow are obviously tied to him, symbolizing his royal birth and his experience in archery. The swan is also a symbol of her, most likely recognizing the calm healing power she had. The wolf however has the opposite meaning as it realizes Apollo's destructive power over disease. Finally, gold is also one of the symbols of Apollo. This is most likely a symbol because of Apollo's handsome features and youthful features. References In today's world there are many references to all the Greek gods. Since this report focuses on Apollo, we will focus our attention on its references. But looking at various references on the Internet is one way.