#Apollo Pythios

[s-c-r-ee-ch]

Apollo Pythios seated on the omphalos

Unknown creator, 500 BCE - 400 BCE

Museo archeologico nazionale di Napoli Naples, Italy

[riverofmolecules]

These are the types of insight I can only have when I get to work from home and lay down in the middle of the day.

[differentsoulsweets]

Apollo

Απολλων [Apollo] God of prophecy and oracles, music, song and poetry, archery, healing, plague and disease

Epithets: ⟡ Proopsios [Foreseeing] ⟡ Phoibos [Bright] ⟡ Akestor [Healer] ⟡ Alexikakos [Averter of Evil] ⟡ Theoxenios [ God of Foreigners ] ⟡ Pythios [Slayers of Python] ⟡ Chrusaor [Of Golden Sword] ⟡ Daphnephorios [Bearer of Laurels] ⟡ Loimios [ Deliverer from Pague] ⟡ Moiragetes [Leader of Fate] ⟡ Pagasios [Pagasaean] ⟡ Hekaergos [Far-shooting]

Domains: ⟡ Prophecy & Oracles ⟡ Light ⟡ Music & Arts ⟡ Song & poetry ⟡ Archery ⟡ Healing & medicine ⟡ Plague & Disease ⟡ Protection of the young ⟡ Boys ⟡ Sudden Death ⟡ Knowledge ⟡ Herds & Flocks ⟡ Protector of Fugitives

Devotional acts: ⟡ Donate to medical charities ⟡ Draw or Paint ⟡ Read poetry or listen to music ⟡ Sing or play an instrument ⟡ Go to the library

Associations

Symbol: ⟡ The Lyre ⟡ Silver bow & Arrows ⟡ Dolphins ⟡ Swans ⟡ Crows ⟡ Ravens ⟡ Lions ⟡ Wolves ⟡ Mice ⟡ Griffins ⟡ Hawks ⟡ Snakes ⟡ Laurel wreath ⟡ Fire / flame ⟡ The sun / Light ⟡ Tripod ⟡ Apples

Element: ⟡ Light

Color: ⟡ Orange ; yellow ; Gold ⟡ Red ⟡ Pure white ⟡ Pink ⟡ Purple ⟡ Green ⟡ Blue

Crystals & stones: ⟡ Sunstone ⟡ Amber ⟡ Honey ; Yellow Calcite ⟡ Rutilated ; Clear ; Rose quartz

Fruits,Vegetables,Flowers,Herbs: ⟡ Cypress ⟡ Laurel ⟡ Larkspur ⟡ The-apple-tree ⟡ The palm tree ⟡ Hyacinth

Animal: ✧Swan ⟡ Raven ⟡ Tortoise ⟡ Serpent ⟡ Wolf ⟡ Dolphin ⟡ Mouse

Incense: ✧ Bay ⟡ Frankincense ⟡ Cypress

Food & Drinks: ⟡ Red wine ⟡ Olive oil ⟡ Water ⟡ Fruit ⟡ Honey ⟡ Almonds ⟡ Citruses ⟡ Cinnamon ⟡ Coffee ⟡ Herbal tea with Honey cakes ⟡ Bay leaves ⟡ Anise

Day, Season, Time of Day: ✧ Sunday ⟡ Middsummer ⟡ Midday ⟡ May

Tarot: ✧ The Sun ⟡ The chariot ⟡ Strength ⟡ Temperance

[the-nerdy-libra]

Ἀπόλλων Φοῖβος, Θεὸς τοῦ Ἡλίου

Apollon, Bright One, God of the Sun

He is associated with Sunlight and the Sun, Music and Poetry, Prophecy and Oracles, Healing and Medicine, Plague and Disease, Archery, Knowledge and Wisdom, Purification and Cleansing, Order and Civilization, Protection of Herds and Flocks, Seafarers, Masculine Beauty, Music Theory and Harmony, Time and Seasons.

His symbols are the Lyre, Bows and Arrows, the Laurel Wreath, Ravens, Serpents, the Sun/Chariot of the Sun, Palm Trees, Bay/Laurel Trees, Wolves, Cypress Trees, Tripod, Lyric Poetry Scrolls, Golden Hair and Swans.

Major Sanctuaries and Temples

Delphi was the most famous sanctuary of Apollon, home to the Oracle of Delphi and the Pythian Games.

Delos was Apollon’s birthplace and celebrated Him with grand festivals like the Delia.

Didyma was known for its oracle and the Temple of Apollon, featuring massive columns.

Claros was another major oracle site, with its temple and priesthood.

Thermopylae was sacred to Apollon during the Amphictyonic League meetings.

Bassae was home to the Temple of Apollon Epikourios, renowned for its architectural innovation.

Aegina featured a Doric temple dedicated to Apollon.

Patara was an ancient Lycian city with ties to Apollon and prophecy.

Miletus’ citizens worshipped Apollon as their protector.

Rhodes revered Apollon as part of the island’s patron deities.

Athens worshipped Apollon in several roles, including Apollo Patroos (Protector of Families).

Sparta honoured Apollon as a god of order and harmony.

In Rome, Imperātor Gāius Iūlius Caesar Augustus constructed the Temple of Apollo Palatinus, aligning Apollo with imperial propaganda.

Mt. Parnassus, near Delphi, was regarded as sacred to Apollon and the Muses.

The island of Crete celebrated Apollon in various cities, such as Gortyna and Dreros.

General Epithets

Apollon (Bright, Radiant), associated with His solar and light-bearing qualities.

Delphinios (Of Delphi), linked to His sanctuary and oracle at Delphi.

Mousagetēs (Leader of Muses), celebrating His patronage of the arts and inspiration.

Loxias (Oblique, Mysterious), reflecting His cryptic oracular messages.

Pythios (Of Pythia), commemorating His victory over Python at Delphi.

Alexikakos (Averter of Evil), worshipped as a protector from harm and calamity.

Medicus (Healer), honouring His medical and healing powers, especially in Roman worship.

Catharsius (Purifier), invoked in cleansing rituals.

Smintheus (Mouse God), protector from plague and agricultural pests.

Lykeios (Wolf God), linked to His protective and wild nature.

Nomios (Pastoral), celebrating His guardianship over herds and flocks.

Karneios (Of Flocks), worshipped in rural Spartan traditions as a regional variation of Nomios.

Helios (Sun God), representing His solar connections in later traditions.

Agyieus (Of the Streets), protector of pathways and travelers.

Delios (Of Delos), celebrating His birthplace.

Didymaeus (Of Didyma), connected to His oracle in Ionia.

Festivals

The Pythian Games were held every four years at Delphi, including musical and athletic competitions in Apollon's honour.

Thargelia was an Athenian festival honoring Apollon and Artemis, featuring purification rituals and offerings of first fruits.

Delia, on Delos, was a festival that included musical contests, dances, and sacrifices sacred to Apollon.

Worship Practices

Sacrifices were often of animals such as bulls and goats, symbolic of his divine strength.

Prophecy played a central role in his worship, with priestesses and the Oracle at Delphi channeling his divine wisdom.

Apollon was invoked in rituals of cleansing and renewal, often symbolized by water.

Roman Veneration

Apollo Medicus was venerated as a god of healing during plagues.

Imperātor Gāius Iūlius Caesar Augustus claimed Apollo as his divine patron, constructing the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine Hill of Rome.

Altars and Sacred Spaces

Altars dedicated to Apollon are typically adorned with symbols like the lyre, laurel leaves, sun motifs and representations of His sacred animals (e.g., swans, wolves, or ravens), often altars placed in sunlit areas to honor His solar aspects.

Altars are frequently decorated with golden or yellow fabrics, sun-shaped decorations, and natural materials like wood or stone are common.

Offerings

Traditional Offerings are laurel leaves, honey, olives, figs, and wine.

Music, poetry, and other creative expressions are also considered as offerings due to Apollon's role as a patron of the arts.

Frankincense and bay laurel oil are burned, while crystals like sunstone and pyrite are used to symbolize His solar and abundant aspects.

Rituals and Practices

Devotees skilled in the arts often recite prayers or compose hymns in His honor, often inspired by ancient texts, while others prefer to stay with the ancient texts themselves. Both choices are equally valid.

Practices like meditating on Apollon's attributes or using divination tools to seek His guidance are common.

The creation of or recitation of music and poetry are also acts of worship. From humming a tune to singing along to your favourite songs, it counts as an offering and is just as valid.

Apollon's teachings on balance and enlightenment inspire personal growth and artistic pursuits, often being blended with the pursuit of philosophical and sometimes even spiritual enlightenment.

Rituals for spiritual or physical healing often invoke Apollon's aid, emphasizing His role as a healer.

Devotees seek His guidance in intellectual and intuitive endeavors, reflecting His association with wisdom and oracles.

Seasonal Celebrations:

Some practitioners observe festivals inspired by ancient traditions, such as the Thargelia or Delia, adapting them to modern contexts. I have yet to find a universally agreed upon date, but April 6th or the Spring Equinox are common due to Apollon's purifying and cleansing epithets, as well as His light and solar epithets.

Personal Notes

Apollon is a deity who only very recently called to me, which is amusing to me since I would have been under His protection. It speaks to me of His integrity that rather than reach out to me then, He has waited nearly seventeen years to do so. I think that perhaps is to do with two things which actually blend hand in hand; the first being that I have a strong suspicion that when He reached out to me, it was not as His Greek self nor even His Roman self; rather, it was as Paean (𐀞𐀊𐀺𐀚, Pajawone) that He reached out.

While I try to keep the history out of the religion in these posts, I feel it is best to explain fully in the case of Hellenic deities whose Mycenaean forms call to me most (of which there is a surprising number). Apollon, as Paean, is chiefly a god of medicine and healing. However, in Troy he was a god of hunting and protection, defending the early Trojans from the beasts of the forest. It is this Trojan Apollon, whom they called Paeiōn (𐀞𐀊𐀩𐀍, Pajerone) that called to me and is still known to this day as Apollon Lykeios. For those wondering why the names changed so much, the evolution from Pajerone to Apollon is due to the language changing and evolving during the Greek Dark Ages; the earliest known midway point is Apeljōn, so the linguistic evolution would be Pajerone -> Apeljōn -> Apollon.

With the mini history lesson out of the way, apologies for boring any of you, now to explain the significance of Pajerone/Apollon Lykeios as main epithet I worship. The Wolf God, Apollon Lykeios, is very different from the other representations of Apollon and is quite, shall we say, wild by comparison. He is still a healer, still knowledgeable in philosophy and music, but He is much more akin to His Sister Artemis and Her preference of the forest and the hunt. He is the Wolf, the hunter who struck down the Python and gained prophetic insight, the friend of Hyperborea whose bow can bring any prey low. To me, as Lykeios, he is still a God of Light, but his light is not simply the gold of the sun. It is the green of the field, the red and pink of blood on his skin. It is the purple of his robe and the blue of his eyes, dancing in the sky as the Aurora Borealis. He is the light that dances with the moon and stars, the Hunter who no prey escapes, the Wanderer who heals all with his herbs.

While far from the first Hellenic deity to call to me, He is perhaps the most important one for bridging the gap between the two main pantheons I worship, an ancient link between the northern hunters and the cradle of the West. It is through this link, through His wandering path from Hellas and Hyperborea all the way to Middungeard and beyond, that I can best reconcile worshipping two pantheons without Syncretism. He is a bridge between worlds, a fierce protector and a noble friend to all.

Orphic Hymn to Apollon

Blest Pæan, come, propitious to my pray'r,

illustrious pow'r, whom Memphian tribes revere,

Slayer of Tityus, and the God of health,

Lycorian Phœbus, fruitful source of wealth.

Spermatic, golden-lyr'd, the field from thee

receives it's constant, rich fertility.

Titanic, Grunian, Smynthian, thee I sing,

Python-destroying, hallow'd,

Delphian king:

Rural, light-bearer, and the Muse's head,

noble and lovely, arm'd with arrows dread:

Far-darting, Bacchian, two-fold, and divine,

pow'r far diffused, and course oblique is thine.

O, Delian king, whose light-producing eye views all within,

and all beneath the sky:

Whose locks are gold, whose oracles are sure,

who, omens good reveal'st, and precepts pure:

Hear me entreating for the human kind, hear,

and be present with benignant mind;

For thou survey'st this boundless æther all,

and ev'ry part of this terrestrial ball

Abundant, blessed; and thy piercing sight,

extends beneath the gloomy, silent night;

Beyond the darkness, starry-ey'd, profound,

the stable roots, deep fix'd by thee are found.

The world's wide bounds, all-flourishing are thine,

thyself all the source and end divine:

'Tis thine all Nature's music to inspire, with various-sounding, harmonising lyre;

Now the last string thou tun'ft to sweet accord,

divinely warbling now the highest chord;

Th' immortal golden lyre, now touch'd by thee,

responsive yields a Dorian melody.

All Nature's tribes to thee their diff'rence owe,

and changing seasons from thy music flow

Hence, mix'd by thee in equal parts, advance

Summer and Winter in alternate dance;

This claims the highest, that the lowest string,

the Dorian measure tunes the lovely spring.

Hence by mankind, Pan-royal, two-horn'd nam'd,

emitting whistling winds thro' Syrinx fam'd;

Since to thy care, the figur'd seal's consign'd,

which stamps the world with forms of ev'ry kind.

Hear me, blest pow'r, and in these rites rejoice,

and save thy mystics with a suppliant voice.

[my-name-is-apollo]

Do you have a fav (or favs) statues of Apollo? I think that ny "top three" are the Apollo Belvedere, the Apollo Sauroktonos and the Apollo Citharoedus, but the tiny hanged Marsyas in the cithara is weird lol

(Top three because i ike so many statues and i can't chose just one qwq)

You have put me in a difficult spot here anon! It's so hard for me to choose just three, honestly.

Apollo Citharoedus (labelled "Apollo with a lute" in the museum) obviously makes it to the list. There's so much grace and gentleness that this statue exudes <3 it's kinda unmatched if you ask me.

This Etruscan statue of Apollo in the act of shooting an arrow is so unique. The other statues I've seen that depict Apollo with a bow (Apollo Belvedere for example) aren't this dynamic. It almost looks like Apollo is dancing here.

Apollo Pythios sitting on omphalos is definitely one of my all time favorites. It's partly because of the hair lol because, look at it!! But also, it's quite rare to see sculptures of Apollo on the omphalos so this one is a treat for me.

Also shoutout to this Apollo Citharoedus as well specifically for the hair:

[edward-allen-crow]

Καλά Θαργήλια!

Happy Thargelia! Here's a brief overview of this festival and the way I plan on observing it this year :) I encourage y'all to do your own research, as usual

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Brief Overview in History

The Thargelia is a festival centered around Apollo, and is also a festival of seasonal renewal and "purification." It takes place on the 6th and 7th of Thargelion (around late April early May), with the 6th being Artemis' birthday, and the 7th Apollo's. "On Thargeilion 6, bad things are driven out, while on Thargelion 7, good things are carried in." The first day of the festival is focused on purification of the city, both the populace and the crops/agriculture. Part of this "purification" is the selection of two "ugly" or older citizens as pharmakoi (lit. "drugs"), who are driven out of the city after a ritual of adorning the two with fig necklaces, and in some sources whipping with fig branches. These "scapegoats" are supposed to symbolically take on the city's problems, and therefore have those problems be driven out. On the second day, there is a procession to the sanctuary, feats, and singing competitions. The main sacrifice on this second day is a "first-fruits" meal, some sources saying a loaf of bread, others saying a "stew." In any case, the intention is a sacrifice and feast of the first harvests of the season. There's also a procession to the sanctuary involving the carrying of eiresione, or laurel branch. Erika Simon claims that  "the Athenians also seem to have put Eireionai above the doors of their houses."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My practice:

Decorate with a (fake) laurel branch attached above the door

Specific offerings to Apollo Pythios, and readings of Homeric Hymn #3 and Orphic Hymn #34 during ritual

On the first day, during evening ritual, write things I want to remove or "purify" from my space and life on a piece of paper, fold and tear the paper up, and ask for them to be recognized as being "driven out" (dispose of as see fit)

On the second day, bake bread or offering cakes for Apollo, go on a walk and muse/think about Apollo as a stand-in for a procession; during evening ritual, ask for Apollo to help guide good things into my space/life, write these things on a piece of paper and leave on the shrine overnight

Χαίρετε φίλοι!!

Sources under the cut

Bremmer, Jan. “Scapegoat Rituals in Ancient Greece.” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 87 (1983): 299. https://doi.org/10.2307/311262.

Hedrick, Charles W. “The Temple and Cult of Apollo Patroos in Athens.” American Journal of Archaeology 92, no. 2 (April 1988): 185. https://doi.org/10.2307/505629.

Simon, Erika. Festivals of Attica: An Archaeological Commentary. Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 1983.

[panicinthestudio]

Votive statue of a man, 550-525 BCE

Iron Age, Archaic period

Pyla, Cyprus

Limestone; remains of painting

H. 201 cm

The kouros emerged in the early years of Greek monumental sculpture, around the middle of the 7th century B. C. It portrays an unclothed youth standing with his left leg forward and his arms at his sides. The Cypriot sculptures of this period, like the statue cat. no. 76 found at the shrine of Apollo at Pyla on Cyprus, largely conform to this type in their composition and posture. (On the statue’s history in the 19th century cf. the essay by A. Bernhard-Walcher in the present catalogue.) However, other influences are also manifest in Cypriot sculpture, resulting from the island’s turbulent history: in the 7th century B. C. it was under Assyrian, in the 6th century under Egyptian and later under Persian hegemony. Like some kouroi from eastern Ionia -- from Samos, Pergamum and Miletus -- the Cypriot statues are almost invariably clothed in accordance with Oriental convention. Their attire is reminiscent of the diagonally worn cape which, originating in eastern Ionia in the middle of the 6th century, is worn by the late-archaic Greek korai.

The kouroi were erected as votive offerings at shrines or as heroic portrayals of the deceased on graves. This larger-than-life statue was unearthed at a shrine to Apollo and will have been donated as a votive offering.

The Greek kouroi are depicted as beardless, an indication of the figure’s youthfulness. The statue from Pyla, on the other hand, has a prominent beard made up of stylized curls deriving from Assyrian models. The figure also has a delicate moustache in the form of several plastic horizontal strips. The hair is curled over the forehead and at the back falls thickly to low on the back in the manner of a wig. Here, however, is it only crudely elaborated, like the back of the statue as a whole. Behind the ears, which are located far back and too high up, three locks of hair are draped over the shoulders and hang down over the chest. The regular recessed waves, resembling indentations in clay, are intended to suggest plaits. A wreath of leaves is woven into the hair, the adversifoliate leaves changing direction over the middle of the forehead.

The principal features of the radiant face are the large, almond-shaped eyes with their raised eyebrows, the prominent (partially restored) nose and the mouth. The lips and the slight upward curl of the corners of the mouth evoke a restrained smile. The figure is of sturdy stature with broad shoulders, a very powerful chest and strong arm and leg muscles. A notable feature is the kneecap of the left leg, depicted as a lentiform indentation somewhat reminiscent of an eye. The coat was originally red (there are traces of paint above the right thigh). It leaves the right half of the chest and the left side of the body exposed. Originally there would probably have been a painted, tight-fitting undergarment beneath the coat (cf. cat. no. 77). The coat is fastened at the left shoulder and encloses the torso in curving folds. A length of fabric pleated several times hangs from the left shoulder in stepped zigzag folds.

The strictly frontal aspect, the homogeneity of the silhouette with the lowered, slightly angled arms and the clenched fists, and the one extended leg all suggest that these kouroi were influenced by Egyptian sculptures. This influence was evident even in ancient times. Writing in the 1st century AD, Diodorus (I,98,9) described a sculpture of Apollo Pythios in the kouros style on Samos as “similar to Egyptian works.” However, whereas the Egyptian sculptors left their figures attached to the stone of the block from which they were fashioned, the Greek sculptors always detached their figures from the rear column of stone. And in Egypt the form, once it had emerged, was retained, while in the context of Greek culture the archaic kouros evolved over a period of 150 years into the early classical depiction of the young man. In Cyprus (and in much the same way in Etruria) the process occurred more slowly and less consistently. Thus, this votive statue, dating from the threshold to the 5th century, still has a distinctly archaic feel about it, with the incomplete separation of the lower legs -- reminiscent of Egyptian statues -- a notable feature.

A. Bernhard-Walcher et al., The Collection of Cypriot Antiquities in the KHM. Collection Catalogues of the KHM Vol. 2, Vienna: 1999 Collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

[verdantlyviolet]

The Oracle of Apollon Deiradiotes in Ancient Argos

On a ridge below the Larissa of Argos was a temple of Apollo, supposedly first built by Pythaeus when he travelled from Delphi. Named for the deiras (ridge) the temple stood upon, this Apollo was known locally as Deiradiotes, though often also called Pythios. The most important use of the sanctuary was that of the oracle presiding there.

The oracle, still operating until at least 2nd century CE in the time of Pausanias, obtained divine inspiration differently to that of Delphi, through a communion of blood.

There is a woman who prophesies, being debarred from intercourse with a man. Every month a lamb is sacrificed at night, and the woman, after tasting the blood, becomes inspired by the god. (Pausanias)

That the oracle operated at night and involved the drinking of blood is not typical of ouranic worship, and it could be extrapolated that this requires the sacrifice of a black sheep too. It shows that this must have been an oracle of antiquity before the Dorians arrived from Delphi. Apollo’s oracles were so varied in their methods across Ancient Greece that while the use of blood is unusual, it is not the most unique method. Inscriptions found at site indicate the oracle shared the sanctuary with many attendants including interpreters and secretaries, and a priest who likely performed the preliminary sacrifices before consulting the oracle.

An interesting title of a sanctuary attendant in one inscription is that of π̣υρφόροι Pyrphoroi. Though its use is not explained, the fiery meaning is obvious and could show the duty of someone who was to care for a sacred fire — though, no sacred fire is mentioned anywhere else upon the deiras. There is however the sacred fire of Phoroneus kept forever-burning in the city temple of Apollo Lykeios, and this connection could mean that the fire was to be obtained from the city and brought to the sacrificial altars each month. Plutarch tells of an oracle from the temple of Apollo Lykeios who prevented an attack by Pyrrhus when she ran from the temple crying that she saw the city full of corpses and slaughter. A seer at this temple is never mentioned elsewhere, and it is possible Plutarch had mistaken the seer’s origin due to the preeminence of the Lykeios temple in Argos.

Evidence from the site dates the sanctuary to the 6th century BCE, with inscriptions of dedications and major repairs made in the 4th-3rd centuries BCE. The remains today show the sanctuary must have been an impressive site. Cut into the deiras, terraces on the ridge and the large staircases are used today for cultural events. The outlines of the buildings were large, with wide open areas left for votive offerings, however the exact use of the buildings and every area of the site is unknown.

🖼 Images courtesy of ACWiki The Bloody Oracle reconstruction in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey; Sanctuary of Apollo Deiradiotes and Athena Oxyderkes

Sanctuaries of Apollo Deiradiotes and Athena Oxyderkes

Pausanias 2.24.1-2

The Cult of Apollo Deiradiotes

Plutarch, Pyrrhus 31

[theomnicode]

Ah so mister Tsukuyomi guy's actual name is Apollo.

I love that this guy survived btw, he makes a fine villain. Overconfident to a fault, but not without reason; dude is brimming with contingency plans after plans. Deadly efficient too and inventive psychic techniques too. Raw power is not everything.

Guy even had antivenom for his own poison. Talk about being overprepared.

I do love that ONE gave this guy not only organization name out of mythos, but this guy's name as well. One better known is Olympic deity Apollo, known for being one of the Sun Gods in mythos.

Apollo[a] is one of the Olympian deities in classical Greek and Roman religion and Greek and Roman mythology. The national divinity of the Greeks, Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the Sun and light, poetry, and more. One of the most important and complex of the Greek gods, he is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis, goddess of the hunt. Seen as the most beautiful god and the ideal of the kouros (ephebe, or a beardless, athletic youth), Apollo is considered to be the most Greek of all the gods.[citation needed] Apollo is known in Greek-influenced Etruscan mythology as Apulu. As the patron deity of Delphi (Apollo Pythios), Apollo is an oracular god—the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. Apollo is the god who affords help and wards off evil; various epithets call him the "averter of evil".

Maybe we will get Artemis the Moon Goddess of the Hunt at some point? That would be kind of fun. But the interesting part is that Apollo is also prophetic deity and he was specifically after the third eye, something that could see the future. Chances are, he could have then become a true oracle then, so it is a fitting name.

Another point of interest is Carl Jung's Apollo Archetype.

The Apollo archetype personifies the aspect of the personality that wants clear definitions, is drawn to master a skill, values order and harmony. The Apollo archetype favors thinking over feeling, distance over closeness, objective assessment over subjective intuition. In addition to the many positive aspects of the Apollo archetype such as order, reason, moderation, harmoniousness, and unemotional perfection,[6] archetypal psychologistJames Hillman suggests that the archetype may also manifest as a negative potential if it becomes overly dominant: "Apollo certainly presents a pattern that is disastrous, destructive for psychological life, cut off from everything that has to do with feminine ways, whether Cassandra or Creusa or Daphne – whomever he touches goes wrong – so that you have the feeling that Apollo simply doesn't belong where there is psyche."

Deadly mistake in letting this master planner character go free though. He's going to do allll sorts of planning for the next strike when nobody expects him to, with all that intel he managed to gather and maybe next time, Tatsu won't be so lucky to have Saitama there to distract him...who knows what he will do. Everyone who even associates with Tatsu is in real danger, people like Genos included since they apparently saw the whole Tatsu & Genos vs Psykos. That would definitely draw Saitama into the conflict if they went that route.

(I love this panel btw, that evil grin is great haha.)

[somnus-lucis-caelum]

Worship his god.

Yes, this was what this was.

And to a part… it scares Somnus. He has grown up with the stories and tales about all of the Gods. How they held blessings so bright and golden as the sun. And how they also held curses that could not only ruin a human’s life, but their soul for all eternity.

He knows Apollo favoured him. And yet Somnus can not completely quench the flicker of fear in him. What if he failed him? If he was not good enough in anything he did…

Somnus is bold – and yet his fingers trail a little slower. Apollo appears so human, lying under him. It is almost too easy to forget how powerful he truly is, with how he allows Somnus to have reign over him here. It changes something in him. He stills his hips, and instead his touches are more gentle, careful.

He works open the golden needles securing Apollo’s toga. Working the white cloth off his shoulders slowly and exposing his chest. He is beautiful. His skin shimmering almost like ivory beneath the moon, complimenting the golden curls on his head.

With that Somnus bows down closer again, leaving a path of kisses on Apollo’s skin. His jaw, his throat, his collarbones and chest. And with each taste of him, each small scrape of teeth or tongue, Somnus begins to whisper something akin to a prayer.

“Apollo… Pythios… Phoebus. Let me give to you, all that I can offer…”

His fingers draw over the dips and lines of the God’s sculpted upper body, forebearers of where his lips will follow. Splayed out with a light touch, as he caresses over his abdomen and navel.

“Lightbringer, Truthsinger – close your eyes and feel my prayer.”

"Ha-"

Apollo sucks in a breath and squeezes his eyes shut, unsure of where to focus. His entire body flushes ichor, trembling in his want. It feels as if he is being utterly consumed by Somnus, and gods, he would gladly let him. "You're a terrible liar."

He opens his eyes just enough to look at him, to be in utter awe of how beautiful Somnus looks in this light. The room is dark, only the light of the moon filtering through the curtains. This close, he can see every sharp detail of Somnus' face. How he never wants to stop looking.

"I think you can feel it well enough," he mutters, pressing his hips back up against Somnus', letting out a shaky breath. Nails dig into his shoulders, lips finding the skin of his collarbone. He wants to know every inch of him, wants to memorize it until it is burned into his brain. Such a desire can never be such a bad thing.

"Come now, Somnus, worship your god," he breathes into his ear, grinning. "Is that not what you promised me before?"

[riverofmolecules]

i have decided i need to stop seeking other people's affirmation when i think two people look alike. i am apollo pythios. i am cassandra. i am gloria foster. i see past petty details to perceive the sympathies of miens.

[alder-bos]

Working with Apollo

☀️ Associations

Identified with: Sol (Roman), Horus (Egyptian), Freyr (Norse)

God of: The Sun, Prophecy, Oracles, Light, Music, The Arts, Song, Poetry, Healing, Medicine, Plague, Disease, Protection of the youth, Knowledge, Herds

Symbols: Lyre, Laurel Wreath, Silver Bow and Arrows, Tripod

Plants and Trees: Laurel, Larkspur, Cypress, Apple Trees, Palm Trees, Hyacinthus

Animals: Swan, Raven, Tortoise, Serpent, Wolf, Dolphin, Mouse

Stones: Amber, Citrine, Peridot, Sunstone, Sapphire, Carnelian

Incense: Frankincense, Myrrh, Cypress, Clove, Cinnamon, Bay

Colours: Gold, Yellow, Orange, Silver, Blue, White

Tarot: The Sun, The Chariot, Strength, Temperance

Planets: Sun

Day: Sunday and the 7th day of the Lunar month

Regions: Delphi, Delos, Megara, Claros and Didyma in Anatolia

Holiest Shrines: Delphi and Delos (his birthplace)

~~~

☀️ Epithets

Proopsios (Foreseeing)

Phoibos (Bright)

Akestór (Healer)

Alexikakos (Averter of Evil)

Theoxenios (God of Foreigners)

Pythios (Slayer of Python)

Chrysaor (Of Golden Sword)

Daphnephorios (Bearer of Laurels)

Loimios (Deliverer from Plague)

Moiragetes (Leader of Fate)

Pagasaios (Pagasaean)

Hekaergos (Far-shooting)

Kledones (Omen in swords and sounds)

Aegletes (Light of the sun)

Lycios (Of the wolves)

Smintheus (Of the mice)

Boedromios (Rescuer)

~~~

☀️ Relationships

Parents: Zeus and Leto

Sister: Artemis, his older twin sister

Consort: Unmarried

Notable Lovers: Hyakinthos, Daphne, Koronis, Branchus

Divine Children: Asclepius, Aristaeus, Hymen, Ialemus

Hero Children: Orpheus, Troilus, Phemonoe, Eurydice

Attendants: The Muses

~~~

☀️ Myths

Apollo’s cattle were once stolen by Hermes, but upon being discovered, Hermes gave Apollo his lyre in a trade

His sister Artemis helped their mother Leto in giving birth to Apollo

Python was sent by Hera to hunt the pregnant Leto and assault her. To avenge the trouble given to his mother, Apollo went in search of Python and killed it in the sacred cave at Delphi, claiming the region s his own

Apollo spent the winter months among the Hyperboreans. He returned to the world during the beginning of spring

Apollo insulted Eros who shot him with a golden arrow, making him fall in love with the nymph Daphne. Then Eros shot Daphne with a lead arrow, making her completely disgusted with the sun god. When Apollo began pursuing Daphne, she was changed into a Laurel Tree. This became one of Apollo’s sacred symbols.

Hyakinthos was a beautiful Spartan prince and lover of Apollo. However, when Apollo was showing his lover how to throw a discus, the jealous Zephyrus redirected the wind so that it hit Hyakinthos and killed him. Out of grief Apollo changed him into a flower, Hyacinthus

Apollo is said to have been the lover of all nine Muses, and not being able to decide between them, decided to remain unwed

During the Trojan War, Apollo rescued the corpse of Sarpedon, cleaned it and delivered it to Hypnos and Thanatos, who took it to Lycai for funeral honours.

Odysseus came to the Trojan Camp to return Chriseis, the daughter of Apollo’s priest, and brought many offerings for Apollo. Pleased with this, Apollo sent gentle breezes that helped Odysseus return safely to the Greek camp.

Marsyas boasted about his musical talent and challenged Apollo to a musical contest but lost. As punishment for his hubris, Apollo had Marsyas tied to a tree and flayed alive.

Apollo and Artemis slew the seven sons and seven daughters of Niobe as punishment for her arrogant boasts that she was superior in motherhood than Leto.

~~~

☀️ Offerings

Red Wine

Olive Oil

Water

Citrus Fruit (Orange, Grapefruit, Lime, Lemon)

Honey

Almonds

Cinnamon

Coffee

Herbal Tea

Honeycakes

Bay Leaves and Anise

Images of the things he’s associated with

Hand-made things like Drawings, Poetry, Lyrics, Music

Golden Objects

Feathers

First Aid supplies and Bandaids

Divination Tools

Sun Water

Milk

Lamb or Goat Meat

Cheeses (Goat/Sheep cheese?)

Wheat and Breads

Bow and Arrow imagery or items

All musical instruments, especially strings

Orange or Lemon-flavored Chocolate

Laurel Wreaths, Branches or Leaves

Sunflowers or Lily of the Valley

Aloe Vera and Sunscreen

Any art you’ve made

Concert Tickets

Golden Jewelry, especially of the sun or arrows

LGBT+ Flags, especially Bisexual

~~~

☀️ Altar Decorations

Anything Golden

Aloe Vera and Sunscreen

First aid supplies and Band-Aids

Gold, Yellow, Orange, Silver and White Candles

Your med box

Research Journals and Pages, my Book of Shadows, anything that represents Knowledge

Sun and Archery Motifs

A little Statuette or Bust of him

Feathers, especially swan or crow

Charged Sun Water

~~~

☀️ Devotional Acts

Donate to medical charities

Support up-and-coming/indie artists and musicians

Sing to Him

Play musical instruments for Him

Hold dance parties, or dance in general

Make a playlist for Him and listen to it daily

Read poetry to Him

Take care of your mental health and remember to take your medicine, if you have any

Try archery

Try different types of divination, like Osteomancy or Tarot

Try and wake up early and watch the sun rise

Go for a walk and feel the warmth from the sun

Let more sunlight into your home/room

Learn a musical instrument or how to sing

Learn simple medical care, like CPR

Learn about His history, His mother's history, and His sister's history

Learn about His lovers

Attend pride

Support LGBT+ rights

Wear yellow or orange clothing

Wear clothing with sun or arrow motifs

Honor Leto and Artemis

Pray to Him and speak to him often. Things to consider praying for are guidance, healing/good health, inspiration, a prophecy or truth

Sunbathe (with Sunscreen!!!)

Always have bandaids or first aid supplies on you

Listen to ABBA

Have the curtains open to let the sunshine in

Sing!

Compliment people and make others smile

Spend time cooking a good, nutritious breakfast

Explore different music genres

Give money to street musicians

Enjoy some caffeine in the morning

Wear more glitter

Find a perfume that reminds you of him, like a citrus fragrance

Attend a local concert

Get up early to watch the sunrise

Blast the radio and get lost in your favorite music

Use a picture of the sun or of him as your screensaver

Donate blood

Read a poetry book

Spend time with family and those you really love

Visit animal shelter

Be more outgoing and extroverted. He’s got your back!

[sunkissedarcher]

TITLES & EPITHETS OF APOLLO

Over thousands of years, the deity known as Apollo has gained many different names he’s been called by, possibly due to the fact that not only was he one of the most important and complex/diverse of the Olympians, but also one of the individuals with the most domains attributed to him.

~ Roles ~

In Greco-Roman mythology, Apollo appears sometime after the Bronze Age; there is no surviving information of him prior to that; it’s sometimes believed that Artemis was originally depicted as a single goddess separate from him and he was later made her brother. Some claim there’s evidence to suggest that she evolved from/is identified with Britomartis who, to the Minoans, was the “Mistress of Animals” and in her earliest depictions was accompanied by the “Master of Animals”, a male god who had a hunting bow as his attribute, who may or may not have been a companion or her lover (very early versions of Artemis did not refer to her as a virgin; she was said to have had lovers and possibly even children). Apollo is the only major Greek god whose primary name remained the same when the Romans re-imagined them in their image after the rise of the Roman Empire.

Although Apollo’s origins are not certain, it is known that he was not worshiped at Delphi before the 8th century. It is believed that he came either from somewhere north of Greece or from Asia. One of his most common epithets is Lykeios, and Homer's lliad connects him with Lycia. In that epic he is an enemy of the Greeks, but other than his support for Troy there and a few other notable instances, Apollo was usually characterized as being impartial in politics. All the Greeks appeared to worship and respect him. There are also many oracles of Apollo in Asia Minor. But his Asian origin remains unproved. How and why he became a prophetic god in Greece is not known, but he is so from the earliest records.

In Roman religion. Apollo was introduced early into Italy, partly through Etruria and partly through the Greek settlements in Magna Graecia, but he was never properly identified with a Roman god. He was first introduced as a god of healing, but soon became prominent as a god of oracles and prophecy. In Virgil he figures in both these characters, but especially as the giver of oracles; the Cumaean Sibyl was his priestess; Sibyl, at the time, being a name simply meaning ‘prophetess’ and used as a generic term for oracles. In Virgil's Eclogues, Apollo appears also as the patron of poetry and music. The oldest temple to him in Rome was erected in 432 BC. His cult was further developed by the emperor Augustus, who took him as his special patron and erected to him a great temple on the Palatinc.

Apollo is in most sources recognized as the Greek god of archery (of which he and Artemis are both credited as inventing in some myths), light, hunting, music, poetry, dancing, prophecies and oracles, truth, order, medicine/healing and plagues/diseases, purification, civilization, knowledge and learning, as well as education (particularly in the arts) and science. Apollo was also known for his capacity to help guide children through growth and became known as the protector of the young who presided over the education, health and protection of children/youths, most often with prepubescent/adolescent boys, while his sister fulfilled the same role for young girls.

First and foremost, Apollo was seen as an Oracular god who ruled over prophecy and knowledge of the future, and as the god of light. After he was already established as an Olympic deity, Apollo’s domain was either merged with or he outright replaced the Titan of the Sun, Helios, which is where his title as the “sun god” began and possibly when the epithet Helius was given to him (around 3rd or 5th century BC, depending on the source). Around this time he started being depicted as driving the “solar chariot”, which was Helios’ main attribute. He is seen also as the god of warding off negativity and misfortune; various epithets refer to him as an “averter of evil,” and this is possibly due to his role in the protection of crops, as well as the god of plagues and diseases, he is sometimes referred to as Apollo Parnopius or the Parnopion (”God of Locusts”) for driving locusts away; or causing them as locusts are often associated with disease and calamity. Delphic Apollo was known as the patron of seafarers, foreigners, and the protector of fugitives and refugees (my speculation is this is related to his mother seeking ‘refuge’ on Delos from Hera’s wrath while pregnant when nowhere else would accept her), and numerous epithets elude to the many roles he played in Ancient Greek pantheism.

An important pastoral deity, Apollo was also the patron of herdsmen (shepherds, goatherds, cowherds) and is depicted as a minor god of agricultural protection over these herds, flocks and crops, which numerous stories refer to, and field plowing (see the times he was made mortal and tended to fields and crops on behalf of King Admentus, or the story of a baby Hermes stealing his sacred cattle). Protection of herds, flocks and crops from diseases, pests and predators were some of his primary duties, as well as encouraging the founding of new towns and establishment of civil constitution. He is associated with dominion over colonists. He was the giver of laws, and his oracles were consulted before setting laws in a city. As the god of Mousike (art of Muses), Apollo presides over all music, songs, dance and poetry. He is the inventor of string-music, and the frequent companion of the Muses, functioning as their chorus leader in celebrations. The lyre is a common attribute of Apollo.

As stated above Apollo was not originally viewed as a Sun God, nor was his sister the Moon Goddess, those roles belonged to the Titans Helios and Selene respectively, but eventually they began being viewed as synonymous and their origins conflated, to the point the Titans were phased out and replaced with the twin archers, sometimes seen as their godly counterparts or successors after the overthrowing of the Titans, when in reality Helios and Selene were some of the few deities who did not side with Cronus in the Titanomachy. It should be noted that for many deities, they hold minor or secondary roles in other fields than their primary; Poseidon is the ‘god’ of the sea, Oceanus was the ‘titan’ of the sea yet Apollo and many other gods are still seen as protectors of sea voyagers, and while Hera is the goddess of marriage, family, fertility, etc. her mother Rhea was the titan of female fertility and motherhood, and Hymenaeus (sometimes depicted as a son of Apollo, or in one bizarre circumstance as his lover) was a god of marriage ceremonies, inspiring feasts and song. Just like multiple Ancient Greek and Roman cities had more than one patron/protector god, so can one field of worship have more than one deity that represents it.

Apollo in some cases was not just seen as the Greek god of male youth, but of male beauty as well; he was stated to be the most characteristically ‘Greek’ of all the gods ironically enough given his unclear origins, and was often used as the perfect embodiment of a Kouros - a beautiful but athletic youth depicted as long-haired and beardless (Ancient Greek boys would grow their hair long until reaching adulthood; thus Apollo’s depiction as both beardless and long-haired pictures him as a youthful god, perhaps just on the cusp of adulthood). As a Kouros, Apollo embodied youthful but mature male beauty and moral excellence, which combined with his association to the beneficial aspects of civilization (healing, music, education, city-building, flock tending, sun/sunlight and prophecy, archery (but not war or hunting) and youth) may have been one of the biggest factors in how much the Greeks cherished him and how many monuments, epithets, and areas of duty were assigned to him.

~ Greco-Roman & Celtic Epithets ~

Sun & Light

Aegletes: “Light of the Sun”, or “the Radiant God”

Phoebus: Apollo’s chief epithet was Phoebus (literally “Bright” or "Shining"). It was very commonly used by both the Greeks and Romans for Apollo's role as the god of light. This also connects him with his maternal grandmother, the Titan Phoebe, the female variant of the name which is also applied to his twin sister Artemis.

Helius: Literally “Sun” - possibly becoming attributed to him when he took on the role previously fulfilled by Helios.

Lukêgenês: “Born of Light”

Lyceus: “Light” - The meaning of the epithet "Lyceus" later became associated with Apollo's mother Leto, who was the patron goddess of Lycia and who was identified with the wolf.

Phanaeus: “Giving or bringing light”

Sol: Latin for “Sun”

Thermius: “Warm”

Wolf

Lycegenes: Literally “Born Of a wolf” or “Born of Lycia”

Lyceius: Similar to or synonymous with ‘Lyceus’; a surname of Apollo with an uncertain meaning. Possibly from the word ‘Lukos’, which would give it the meaning “The Wolf-Slayer”, others from “Luke”, which would give it the meaning “The Giver of Light.” Or it could mean someone from the country of Lycia. Surviving passages indicate it could be any of the three.

Lycoctonus: “Wolf” and “To Kill”

Origin/Birth

Cynthius/Kynthius: Literally “Cynthian/Kynthian”; Apollo’s birthplace was atop Mount Cynthos (or Mount Kynthus) on the floating island of Delos; his sister has a similar name attributed to her.

Cynthogenes: “Born of Cynthus”

Delius: “Delian/of Delos”, someone born on Delos; the name Delia is applied similarly to his sister.

Didymaeus: “Twin”, a name attributed to he and Artemis together.

Epaktios: “God of the Coast”

Epibatêrios: “Leader of Sailors”

Latôios: “Son of Leto”

Pythios “Of Python”

Sauroktonos: “Lizard Slayer”, likely a reference to his killing of the monster Python.

Tityoktónos: “Slayer of the Giant Tityos”. Tityos was a giant in Greek mythology and the son of Elara and Zeus. Still scorned by the affair of her husband with Leto, she sent the giant to rape Leto and he was subsequently slain by the protective Apollo and Artemis. As punishment after death, he was laid out in Tartarus where two vultures would torture him by feeding on his liver, which grew back every night. This is similar to the punishment of Prometheus.

Places/Worship

Acraephius: Literally “Acraephian”, from the Boeotian town of Acraephia, reputedly founded by his son Acraepheus.

Actiacus: “Actian”, after Actium, one of his primary places of worship, a town in Ancient Acarnania.

Delphinius: “Delphic”, after Delphi, the location of the Oracle of Delphi, but also relating to dolphins. One Minoan origin story describes Apollo transforming into a dolphin and intercepting a pirate ship of Cretans, turning back into himself, and convincing the pirates to become his priests, and carrying them back to Delphi with him (possibly in dolphin form).

Epactaeus: “God worshiped on the coast” in Samos.

Erythibios: “Of the Mildew”. An epithet bestowed on a temple dedicated to him by the Rhodians.

Hebdomagetês: “The 7th of Every Month”

Hecatombæus: “Sacrifice of 100″

Hyacinthia: “Hyacinth”. A festival celebrated at Amyclae by the Spartans in honor of Apollo Actius, and in honor of the death of his young lover Prince Hyacinthus/Hyakinthos, who in some variants of the story was a Spartan Prince.

Leucadius/Leucadios/Leucates/Leukates: “From the Leucas”. A surname of Apollo deriving from Leucas (now known as Lefkada). From λευκός (leukos) meaning “White” as well as “Bright, Clear, Brilliant”. Also the name of Leukadios, the son of Icarius and Polycaste, who according to myth, was also said to be the eponym of the island.

Pythius: From the region around Delphi, related to Python who was slain by Apollo. For this reason, his priests are often known as the Pythian priests.

Semne: “Holy/Revered”

Smintheus: “Sminthian”, or “Of the town of Sminthos,” near the Troad town of Hamaxitus.

Spodios: “Sacred Altar Ash”

Thymbraios: “Of Thymbra.” A surname of Apollo, likely a localization, from Thymbra, which was a city near Troy that worshiped the god Apollo Thymbraios. It was in this altar that Troilus (son of Apollo or King Priam, depending on the myth) fled for sanctuary, possibly, and was beheaded on the altar omphalos by Achilles, incurring the wrath of Apollo.

Pastoral Duties/Agriculture

Arótrios: “Blesser of Farmers/Shepherds”

Meliae: “Of the Ash Tree,” Meliads were ash tree Nymphs, and the ones who nursed a young Zeus when Rhea saved him from being devoured by Cronus. This name is significant due to a grove that was sacred to Apollo in Colophon in Ionia. He also had a Nymph consort by the name of Melia, by whom he fathered the prophet and hero Tenerus.

Noumios: “Leader of Shepherds” or “Of the Pastures”

Nymphegetes: “Nymph” and “Leader”, for his role as a protector of shepherds and pastoral life, as Nymphs were regarded as minor female deities and personifications of nature.

Spærmeios: “Presiding Over Seed”

Patron Of The Young

Kouros: Apollo was sometimes referred to as the ideal image of a Kouros (a beautiful and athletic, beardless male youth). This name brings to mind the name of the female equivalent, “Kore”, which means young unmarried girl (maiden/virgin), and was also a name of Persephone. Kouros/Kore is also the name of a type of freestanding statue in Ancient Greek art of a young unwed male/female. In this, Apollo and Persephone can possibly be considered counterparts as archetypal Greek images of eternal youths.

Kourotróphos: “Nurturer of Children”. A name that was given in Ancient Greece to gods and goddesses whose properties included their ability to protect young people. Numerous gods are referred to by this epithet, including, but not limited to, Athena, Apollo, Hermes, Hecate, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Eileithyia.

Vulturius: “Of Vultures”. A surname and epithet given to Apollo after he saved a shepherd boy from death in a large, deep cave, by the means of vultures. To thank him, the boy built Apollo a temple under the name Vulturius.

Healing/Disease

Acesius: “Healing”. Acesius was the epithet of Apollo worshipped in Elis, where he had a temple in the agora.

Acestor: “Healer”

Akesios: “Of Healing” Culicarius: “Of Midges” or “Averter of Flies/Gnats”

Iatrus: “Physician”

Loimios: “Savior from Plague” Medicus: “Physician” in Latin. A temple was dedicated to Apollo Medicus in Rome, probably next to the temple of Bellona.

Oulios: “Of Sound Health”

Paean: “Physician, Healer” Parnopius: “Expeller of Locusts.” Locusts were a sign of plague and disease; this was a surname of Apollo under which he had a statue on the acropolis of Athens.

Sosianus: “Healer of Madness��

Viodóhtis: “Giver of Life”

Founder & Protector

Agêtôr: “Leader of Men”

Agônios: “Helper in Contests”

Agyieus: “Protector of the Streets”. A surname of Apollo, describing his role in protecting roads, streets, public places and homes.

Aktios: “Of the Foreshore”, possibly relating to Apollo’s status as patron and protector of sailors/seafarers (a duty he shared minimally with the chief sea god, Poseidon).

Alaios: “Wanderer”, perhaps a reference to his role as the founder of cities, or the patron of fugitives. Also the name of one of his temples, founded by the hero Philoctetes.

Alexicacus: Literally “Averter of Calamity”. A surname given by the Greeks to several deities; to Apollo, who was worshiped under this name by the Athenians, because he was believed to have stopped the plague which raged at Athens in the time of the Peloponnesian War.

Apotropaeus: “To Avert”

Archegetes: “Founder”. A surname of Apollo, under which he was worshiped at several places, such as Naxos in Sicily, and at Megara. The name either references Apollo as the leader and protector of colonies, or as the founder of towns in general.

Averruncus: “To Avert”

Boêdromios: “Rescuer”

Clarius: “Allotted lot”. A surname of Apollo, derived from his celebrated temple at Clarios in Asia Minor, which had been founded by Manto, the daughter of Teiresias, who, after the conquest of her native city of Thebes, was made over to the Delphic god, and was then sent into the country, where subsequently Colophon was built by the Ionians.

Embasius “Blesser of Those Embarking”

Epicurius: “To Aid”

Genetor: Literally “Ancestor”

Horios “Of Boundaries/Borders”

Kataibatês: “Glad Return”

Phuzios: “Protector of Fugitives”

Prostatêrios: “Protector Of Houses”

Soter: “Savior”

Theoxenios: “God of Strangers”/”Foreign God”, as the patron of strangers, foreigners and refugees.

Thyræus: “Of the Gate/Entrance”

Zosterius: “Savior”/”Encircling the World”

Appearance

Akersekomês: “Beautiful Hair”/”Uncut Hair”

Chrysokomes: “Golden Haired”

Comaeus: “Flowing Hair”

Daphnaios: “Bay Laurel”

Daphnephorios: “Bearing Laurel”

Dicerus: “Two Horned”

Karneios: “Horned”

Kýdimos Kouros: “Famous Youth”

Prophecy & Truth

Coelispex: From the Latin coelum, meaning “Sky”, and specere, “To Look At”.

Iatromantis: From the Greek words for “Physician” and “Prophet”, referring to his role as a god of both healing and prophecy.

Khrismohdós: “Chanting Prophecies”

Klêdônes: “Omen in Words and Sounds”

Leschenorius: “Converser”

Loxias: From λέγειν, “To say”, historically associated with λοξός, “Ambiguous”, or “Vague Prophecy”.

Manticus: “Prophetic”

Moiragetês: “Leader of the Fates”

Manticus: Literally “Prophetic”

Panderkes Omma: “All Seeing Eye”

Proopsios: “Foreseeing”

Thearios: “Of the Oracle”

Music & The Arts

Khrysolýris: “Of the Golden Lyre”

Kitharohdós: “Player of the Kithára”

Kýrios Orkhísæohs: “Lord of Dance”

Musagetes/Musegetes: “Leader”

Mousarkhos: “Leader of the Muses.” The same as above; Apollo was considered the leader of the Muses’ choir.

Tælǽstohr: “Sacred Teacher”

Archery/Hunting

Agraios: “Of the Wild”

Agréfs: “Hunter”

Aphetor/Aphetorus: “To Let Loose”

Arcitenens: Literally “Bow-Carrying”

Argyrotoxus: “Bearer of the Silver Bow”

Efpharǽtris : “Possessing a Beautiful Quiver”

Efrypharetres: “With Wide Quiver”

Hecaërgus: “Far-shooting”

Hecebolus: “He Who Attains His Aim”

Hekatos: “Shooter From Afar”/”Distant Deadly Archer”

Ismenius: Literally “Of Ismenus”; after Ismenus, the son of Amphion and Niobe, whom he struck down with an arrow after Niobe’s insult of his mother, Leto.

Khrysótoxos: “With Bow of Gold”

Toxovǽlæmnos: “Of Bow and Arrows”

Others

Aglaotimus: “Splendidly Honored”

Agnós: “Holy”

Amazonius: Pausanias at the Description of Greece wrote that near Pyrrhichus there was a sanctuary of Apollo, called Amazonius, with image of the god said to have been dedicated by the Amazons.

Anaphaios: “He Made Appear.” A surname of Apollo, after the island in the Cretan sea, Anáphi, which he was said to have made appear, from the light of an arrow, to the Agronauts as shelter from a storm.

Ánax: “King”

Asphetorus: “To Let Loose”

Cerdous: “Gainful”

Chrusaôr: “He Who Wields the Golden Sword”

Dekatêphoros “Bringer of Tithes”

Eleleus: “War Cry”

Enolmus “Of the Seat”

Enthryptos: “Of the Enthyrptos Cake”

Erasmius: “Beloved”

Genetor: “Ancestor”

Intonsus: “Uncut/Unshaved”

Isodetês: “He Who Equally Binds”

Kharopiós: “Bringer of Joy”

Korynthos: “Of the (Sacred) Corynthos Cake”

Kourídios: “Suitable Partner”

Kozmoplókos: “Holder of the World”

Mælioukhos Turannæ: “Ruling With Sweetness”

Mákar: “Blessed”

Marmarinos: “Of Marble”

Myricaeus: “Bearing Broom”

Napaeus: “Of Groves”

Naeominios: “New Moon”

Olviodotis: “Bestower of Bliss”

Pangkratis: “All Powerful”

Pantothalis: “Making Everything Bloom”

Patróös: “Father”

Philísios: “Friendly”

Prophítis: “Speaker for a God”

Psykhodotír: “Giver of the Soul”

Saligena: “Rising From the Sea”

Spelaites: “Of Grottos”

Thorates: “Engendering”

Celtic Epithets/Cult Titles

Apollo Atepomarus: “The Great Horseman” or “Possessing a Great Horse”. Apollo was worshiped at Mauvières. Horses were, in the Celtic world, closely linked to the sun.

Apollo Belenus: “Bright” or “Brilliant”. This epithet was given to Apollo in parts of Gaul, Northern Italy, and Nocrium (a part of what is now Austria). Apollo Belenus was a healing and sun god.

Apollo Cunomaglus: “Hound Lord”. The title given to Apollo at a shrine in Nettleton Shrub, Wiltshire. May have been a god of healing. Cunomaglus himself may originally have been an independent healing god.

Apollo Grannus: Grannus was a healing spring god, later equated with Apollo.

Apollo Maponus: A god known from inscriptions in Britain. This may be a local fusion of Apollo and Maponus.

Apollo Moritasgus: “Masses of the Sea Water”. An epithet for Apollo at Alesia, where he was worshiped as god of healing and, possibly, of physicians.

Apollo Vindonnus: “Clear Light”. From a temple at Essarois, near Châtillon-sur-Seine in present-day Burgundy. He was a god of healing, especially of the eyes.

Apollo Virotutis: Possibly “Benefactor of Mankind”. He was worshiped, among other places, at Fins d’Annecy (Haute-Savoie) and at Jublains (Maine-et-Loire).

( Sources: X X X X X X )

[wordsmithic]

Sorry, I still don't understand. More than one names can be used to refer to the same figure in Greek mythology. If they are called one name in one source and another name in another but the stories of those accounts are the same or show natural consequence, then it's the same group. At least in this case the Classics academia both Anglophone and Greek seems to agree they are the same group.

"Nysiades" is a toponym. Toponyms can be used in records istead of the local or widely known name, often as a literary tool. For example, instead of "Apollo" someone could write "Delios", "Pythios", "Delphios", and everyone will understand it's the same figure. "The nymphs of Nysa" is valid alternatively way to characterize them instead of their local name, especially if the writer lived far from Nysa.

Would there be a better way for the theoi writer to express this? Sure! Personally I didn't find it confusing but someone else might. That's why I explained my thought process here, to also cover confused readers of this post. Thanks for dealing with my paragraphs 😁

The theoi guy had a real boner for just giving groups of nymphs names (following correct naming conventions, I’ll give him that) and then behaving as if those names are actually in ancient sources.

Is it weird to find this fucking irritating? Like? If I am reading a thing and find a group of nymphs given a specific name I expect that to be a name they were actually assigned in antiquity, not 2006.

[chanelbabysoft]

Apollo

As the patron deity of Delphi (Apollo Pythios), Apollo is an oracular god the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. Apollo is the god who affords help and wards off evil; various epithets call him the "averter of evil". Delphic Apollo is the patron of seafarers, foreigners and the protector of fugitives and refugees. Apollo's capacity to make youths grow is one of the best attested facets of his panhellenic cult persona. As the protector of young (kourotrophos), Apollo is concerned with the health and education of children. He presided over their passage into adulthood. Long hair, which was the prerogative of boys, was cut at the coming of age (ephebeia) and dedicated to Apollo. He was the giver of laws, and his oracles were consulted before setting laws in a city. For the Greeks, Apollo was the most Greek of all the gods, and through the centuries he acquired different functions. In Archaic Greece he was the prophet, the oracular god who in older times was connected with "healing". In Classical Greece he was the god of light and of music, but in popular religion he had a strong function to keep away evil.[51] Walter Burkert discerned three components in the prehistory of Apollo worship, which he termed "a Dorian-northwest Greek component, a Cretan-Minoan component, and a Syro-Hittite component."[52]

[gone-arai]

Apollon Info Dump

Apollon was the most Greek of all the gods. He is the son of Zeus and the titan of motherhood and female modesty, Leto. He was born on the seventh day of the month, and, therefore, the number seven is sacred to Apollon, and sacrifices were offered to him on the seventh day of the month. After being born on the island of Delos and given nectar and ambrosia by Themis, Apollon leapt up and said he would declare the will of Zeus to men.

Apollon gets the following duties from Zeus: (1.) punishing the wicked (2.) affording help and averting evil (3.) the god of prophecy, music, and poetry (4.) protecting the flocks and cattle (5.) delighting in the founding of city-states (6.) protecting of young boys

Punishing the Wicked

As the punisher of the wicked, Apollon uses his bow and arrow to strike down the wicked. His arrows could also be used to send plague down upon wicked civilizations. All plagues and sudden deaths are attributed to Apollon’s arrows. This power of Apollon also appeared when he slew Python and retook the oracle of Delphi for his father, Zeus.

Affording Help and Averting Evil

Just as Apollon can punish evildoers with plagues and death, so can he deliver people from these things--if properly sacrificed to. Apollon could also afford help through the use and advice of his oracles.

God of Prophecy, Music, and Poetry

Apollon is the god of many things including oracles, archery, the hunt, healing, disease, music, poetry, truthfulness, and light. As the god of prophecy, Apollon was in charge of all of his father’s oracles--he was considered the prophet of Zeus and charged with communicating his will to men.

As the god of music and poetry, Apollon is often represented as the leader of the nine muses, and in many myths, he is seen entertaining and delighting the gods with his music.

“Leto's all-glorious son goes to rocky Pytho, playing upon his hollow lure, clad in divine, perfumed garments; and at the touch of the golden key his lyre sings sweet.” - Homeric Hymn 3 to Pythian Apollon

Protecting the Flocks and Cattle

As Apollon Nomios, Apollon is often charged with the protection of certain flocks and herds by his father. 

Delighting in the Founding of City-States

As Apollon Ktistes or Oikistes, Apollon was often seen as the spiritual leader of towns which were founded after consulting one of his oracles.

“O Lord [Apollon], Lykia (Lycia) is yours and lovely Maionian (Maeonian) and Miletos (Miletus), charming city by the sea, but over wave-girt Delos you greatly reign your own self.” - Homeric Hymn 3 to Pythian Apollon

Protecting Young Boys

Apollon and Artemis are often prayed to as the protectors of young children, along with their mother Leto. While Artemis has the duty of protecting young girls, it is Apollon’s job to protect their male peers.

God of the Sun?

In later times, Apollon became associated with Helios, the titan of the sun. This is mostly a result of his association with light and one of his most famous epithets Phoibos Apollon (radiant or shining). However, most accounts agree that while Apollon may be a god of the sun, Helios is the only one who drives the sun chariot.

This isn’t the only example of Apollon “gaining” a power, though. In fact, many scholars believe that he started purely as the averter of evil, and that his other aspects, such as the protector of flocks and god of oracles were absorbed from other iterations of the god around Greece.

"Phoibos [Apollon], of you even the swan sings with clear voice to the beating of his wings, as he alights upon the bank by the eddying river Peneios; and of you the sweet-tongued minstrel, holding his high-pitched lyre, always sings both first and last. And so hail to you lord! I seek your favour with my song." - Homeric Hymn 21 to Apollo

Worship and Cult

Apollon’s most famous shrines were his oracles--the most famous of which was at Delphi. Others included:

i. The Oracle of Apollon Ismenios in Thebes, Boiotia (Greece) ii. The Oracle of Apollon Ptoios on Mt. Ptoos, Boiotia (Greece) iii. The Oracle of Apollon at Abai, Phokis (Greece) iv. The Oracle of Apollon Didymios at Didyma (or Brankhidai) near Miletos, Karia (Asia Minor) v. The Oracle of Apollon Klarios at Klaros near Kolophon (Asia Minor) vi. The Oracle of Apollon at Pergamon, Teuthrania (Asia Minor)

Hymns: Homeric Hymn 3 to Pythian Apollon, Homeric Hymn 22 to Apollon, Orphic Hymn 34 to Apollon

Epithets: Phoibos (radiant), Alexikakos (averter of evil), Hekatos (shooter from afar), Mousegetes (leader of the muses), Paieon and Akesios (healing), Pythios (Pythian, related to Delphi), and many, many more

Info from theoi.com