Apollo Is an Integral Character

Apollo is an integral character in both Greek and Roman mythology and literature. However, Apollo is not a monolithic figure. His role changes depending on the context, author, and historical epoch in which Apollo appears. He is as much a lover and son as a cult leader, musician and seer. Apollo was commonly associated with the symbol of the sun, an indication of the god's significance to the ancient world and he was also a sign of what Morford & Lenardon describe as the "younger generation" of the gods (p. 167). Like Athena, Apollo became an emblem of "progress and the advanced enlightenment of civilization," even as he also revealed the time-honored traditions of Greek culture (Morford & Lenardon p. 169).

The evolution of Apollo's character parallels the enormous transformations taking place throughout the ancient world. Early references to Apollo show that the god was associated most of all with core symbols or archetypes. Most importantly, Apollo became associated with the sun, even though he was "not originally a sun god," (p. 59). His sun god status made Apollo's early incarnation a rather crude one that only hinted at the more sophisticated stages to which he, and the rest of Greek society, would reach. Apollo assumed the moniker Phoebus Apollo: the bright Apollo. His brightness became gradually dissociated from the sun as an astrological body and more representative of his status in the Greek and later Roman pantheon.

Apollo was a significant god for both the Greeks and the Romans and references to Apollo can be found both in Homer and Ovid. The progression of culture in Greece and then Rome can also be appreciated by comparing Homer's and Ovid's respective treatment of Apollo. Homer's ode to Apollo lauds the god and pays special attention to Apollo's musical abilities. In fact, Homer's text reveals the blossoming importance of music and the arts to Greek culture. Music and the arts were viewed as essential to life. "Through the Muses and far-shooting Apollo," notes Homer, "human beings on earth are poets and musicians," (Morford & Lenardon p. 125). Comparing Apollo to the Muses illustrates the Greek perception of creativity: inspiration is divine. At the same time, Homer suggests that inspiration is meaningless without expression in the form of lyrical song, sculpture, or poem.

As if inspiring the arts was not enough for Apollo, the god is sometimes depicted as a just political leader. On the Parthenon, Apollo is shown "imposing order on the scene of violence and chaos," (Morford & Lenardon p. 114). The scene suggests that the heights of Hellenic culture represents order out of chaos or enlightenment out of barbarism. However, the Greeks were unlikely to have believed that political order and social stability come from the gods. Their pragmatic approach to the polis and democratic government shows that Apollo was a symbol, not the Muse, of order.

Perhaps nowhere is Apollo's relevance as poignant as his association with prognostication. A whole cult devoted to Apollo centered on the god's ability to foresee the future and to communicate his findings to mortals. Only Zeus is depicted as being as omniscient as Apollo (Morford & Lenardon p. 128). Apollo's "brightness" takes on a new meaning in his role as seer because he sheds light on the future and also helps illuminate the human experience. His "brightness" indicates good visual sight as well as foresight. Being a psychic seer mirrors having solid long-distance vision, and Apollo was also an archer, dubbed the "far-shooter" by Homer (Morford & Lenardon p. 121).

Apollo's reputation as the god of foresight reached ancient Persia too. Morford & Lenardon refer to the story of Croesus the Persian who heard of the Oracle at Delphi and sought Apollo's advice in spite of the geographic and cultural barriers. In some ways, Apollo became a sort of envoy for Greek culture. As Apollo made his way into the Roman pantheon, the god also assumed various other roles including that of lover. He "deceived goddesses and mortal women" just as the other gods did (Morford & Lenardon p. 166).

Morford & Lenardon state, "one can understand the simple and sincere belief in Apollo and Delphi possible in the 6th century BC. There is a fascinating interplay between the inevitability of fate or destiny and the individuality of human character and free will," (p. 133). Indeed, Apollo did straddle the two modes of thinking about human destiny. On the one hand, fate was inevitability and human beings need to resign themselves to it lest they upset a delicate cosmic balance. This view upholds the supremacy of the gods and portrays them much like Homer did: as egotistical meddlers in human affairs. Yet Homer also indicated the changing role of the gods in human affairs when he wrote his odes. The gods became less cruel and more inspiriting, especially Apollo.