god of light, music and poetry most beautiful god also the god of medicine

1. Apollo • god of light, music and poetry • most beautiful god • also the god of medicine • taught people the art of healing • fine marksman • could predict the future

2. The son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo was the god of music (principally the lyre, and he directed the choir of the Muses) and also of prophecy, colonization, medicine, archery (but not for war or hunting), poetry, dance, intellectual inquiry and the nurturer of herds and flocks. He was also a god of light, He was also the god of plague and was known as the destroyer of rats and locust. Apollo being the god of religious healing would give those guilty of murder and other immoral deeds a ritual purification. Sacred to Apollo are the swan, the wolf and the dolphin. His attributes are the bow and arrows, on his head a laurel crown, and the cithara (or lyre). But his most famous attribute is the tripod, the symbol of his prophetic powers.

3. When the goddesssHera, the wife of Zeus found out about Leto's pregnancy, she was outraged with jealousy. Seeking revenge Hera forced Leto to roam the earth in search of a place to give birth. Since Hera had forbidden Leto to stay anywhere on earth, either on terra-ferma or an island at sea, the only place to seek shelter was Delos, being in the center of the Aegean, and also difficult to reach, as there were strong under-currents, because it was said to be a floating island. Because it was a floating island, it was not considered either of Hera's prohibitions, and so Leto was able to give birth to the divine twins Apollo and Artemis (before Leto gave birth to Apollo, the island was encircled by a flock of swans, this is why the swan was sacred to him). As a gesture of thanks Delos was secured to the sea-bed by four columns to give it stability, and from then on it became one of the most important sanctuaries to Apollo.

4. Apollo's first achievement was to rid Pytho (Delphi) of the serpent (or dragon) Python. This monstrous beast protected the sanctuary of Pytho from its lair beside the Castalian Spring. There it stood guard while the "Sibyl" gave out her prophecies as she inhaled the trance inducing vapors from an open chasm. Apollo killed Python with his bow and arrows. Apollo not only took charge of the oracle but rid the neighboring countryside of widespread destruction, as Python had destroyed crops, sacked villages and polluted streams and springs. However, to make amends for killing Python, as the fearsome beast was the son of Gaea, Apollo had to serve king Admetus for nine years as a cow herder. This he did, and when he returned to Pytho he came in the disguise of a dolphin bringing with him priests from Crete. After killing Python and taking possession of the oracle, the god of light (Apollo) became known as "Pythian Apollo". He dedicated a bronze tripod to the sanctuary and bestowed divine powers on one of the priestesses, and she became known as the "Pythia". It was she who inhaled the hallucinating vapors from the fissure in the temple floor, while she sat on a tripod chewing laurel leaves. After she mumbled her answer, a male priest would translate it for the supplicant. Delphi became the most important oracle center of Apollo.

5. Apollo, as with Zeus his father, had many love affairs with goddesses and mortals. Apollo's infatuation for the nymph Daphne, which had been invoked by the young god of love Eros, because Apollo had mocked him, saying his archery skills were pathetic, and Apollo's singing had also irritated him. Daphne was the beautiful daughter of the river god Ladon, and she was constantly pursued by Apollo. To escape from Apollo's insistent behavior, she fled to the mountains, but the persistent Apollo followed her. Annoyed by this, she asked the river god Peneus for help, which he did. As soon as Apollo approached Daphne, he tried to embrace her, but when he stretched out his arms she transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo, distraught by what had happened, made the laurel his sacred tree. Apollo also loved Cyrene, she was another nymph, and she bore Apollo a son: Aristaeus, a demi-god, who became a protector of cattle and fruit trees, and a deity of hunting, husbandry and bee-keeping. He taught men dairy skills and the use of nets and traps in hunting.

6. Artemis • goddess of hunting, wild things, unmarried girls and the moon • She decided never to marry Once when she was bathing under the moonlight a human was watching her. She threw rain drops on him and changed him into a stag. Then she had him killed by his own dogs.

7. Wild Queendom: Artemis • Artemis grew to become the virgin goddess of the hunt, of wild animals, and of childbirth (due to her participation in the birth of her brother). She and her brother also became the protectors of young children. • When she was just three, Artemis was asked by her father, Zeus, to name any gifts she wanted. Among many others, she named: • A bow and arrows (just like her brother's) • All the world's mountains (as her home and playground) • Just one city (for she preferred to live in the mountains) • Eternal virginity • Zeus gladly provided her with everything she wanted and more. He ordered the Cyclopes to forge a silver bow and fill a quiver with arrows for her. He promised her eternal virginity. Zeus gave her all the mountains as her domain. And he presented her with 30 cities—and named her as guardian of the world's roads and harbors. • Artemis, constantly attended by nymphs, could almost always be found in the mountains she loved. Though she was the guardian of wild animals, Artemis enjoyed nothing more than hunting. Orion, a giant hunter, joined both Artemis and her mother on many of their hunts.

8. Like most of the Olympians, Artemis reacted strongly whenever she did not receive the honors due her as a goddess. What a Life! The hunter Orion greatly offended Gaea by boasting that his hunting skill was so great he could kill all of the animals on Earth. Gaea decided to protect her domain by sending a giant scorpion after the hunter. After the scorpion stung and killed Orion, Artemis and Leto begged upon Zeus to immortalize him as a constellation—but with the scorpion similarly honored. King Oeneus of Calydon similarly offended Artemis by forgetting to dedicate the first fruits of the harvest to her one season. Artemis sent a monstrous boar to ravage and terrorize his kingdom. To rid the kingdom of this vicious beast, Oeneus was forced to call on some of the greatest heroes of the age to participate in the hunt. Actaeon, offended the goddess by stumbling across her once while she was bathing in the woods. Furious that a mortal had seen her naked, Artemis transformed the hunter into a stag. His own hounds then ripped Actaeon to pieces.

9. Zeus’ favorite goddess of wisdom, strategy, protector of cities and civilizations goddess of handicrafts and art She sprang from her father’s head fully clothed and in armor. Hephaestus, Zeus’ son, had to release Athena by cutting his head open with an axe. Athena

10. Athena's Birth Zeus came to lust after Metis, and chased her in his direct way. Metis tried to escape, going so far as to change her form many times. Turning into various creatures such as hawks, fish, and serpents. However, Zeus was both determined and equally proficient at changing form. He continued his pursuit until she relented. An Oracle of Gaea then prophesied that Metis first child would be a girl but, her second child would be a boy that would overthrow Zeus as had happened to his father and grandfather. Zeus took this warning to heart. When he next saw Metis he flattered her and put her at her ease. Then with Metis off guard Zeus suddenly opened his mouth and swallowed her. This was the end of Metis but, possibly the beginning of Zeus's wisdom. After a time Zeus developed the mother of all headaches. He howled so loudly it could be heard throughout the earth. The other gods came to see what the problem was. Hermes realized what needed to be done and directed Hephaestus to take a wedge and split open Zeus's skull. Out of the skull sprang Athena, full grown and in a full set of armor. Due to her manor of birth she has dominion over all things of the intellect.

11. Athena’s Wrath The Medusa was the daughter of Phorkys and Keto, the children of Gaea (Earth). She was one of the three sisters known as the Gorgons. Medusa was the only mortal out of the three. She was originally a golden-haired and very beautiful maiden, who, as a priestess of Athena, was devoted to a life of celibacy; but, being wooed by Poseidon, whom she loved in return, she forgot her vows, and became united to him in marriage. For this offence she was punished by the goddess in a most terrible manner. Each wavy lock of the beautiful hair which had so charmed her husband, was changed into a venomous snake; her once gentle, love-inspiring eyes now became blood-shot, furious orbs, which excited fear and disgust in the mind of the beholder; whilst her former roseate hue and milk-white skin assumed a loathsome greenish tinge.

12. Ares • god of war • Boastful, cruel and had no manners • Son of Zeus and Hera • Loved to fight, but was a coward once he got hurt • Wherever he went there was violence and bloodshed • the curse of mortals

13. The myths of Ares, the God of War, warfare, courage and righteous indignation say he was the son of Zeus and Hera, it is told that he was born on the city of Thracians. He was a murderous God, having an opposite personality to his half sister, the warrior Goddess Athena, they both were enemies since they were born. Myths of Ares For his dangerous and savage nature, he was a fierce warrior, becoming the perfect role model for the Spartans, they used to make a sacrifice before each battle in honor of Ares so they could win the fight. Just like his father Zeus, Ares had various affairs, being the most popular with Hephaestus' wife the Goddess Aphrodite. With her he fathered Deimos, Phobes, Eros, Adrestra, Anteros and probably the most dangerous of all was Cycnus,which was bloodthirsty and tried to build a temple for him with the bones and skulls from the people he killed, but was stopped by Heracles, who killed Cycnus. One of the myths of Ares is when they discovered his affair with Aphrodite: During his affair, Helios walked into them, but was not discovered, so he went to Hephaestus and told him about his wife's affair. Hephaestus created a net that was almost invisible. When both unfaithful Gods got together again, Hephaestus sprung the net trapping both Gods, then Hephaestus called all the Gods on Olympus so they could see the two lovers, ashamed, Ares fled to Thracians.

14. Aphrodite • Goddess of love and beauty • Goddess of desire • Wherever she walked flowers sprang up beneath her feet • she appeared from the foam of the sea • Her son is Eros (Cupid)

15. Aphrodite was the goddess of love. Aphrodite lived on Mount Olympus with the other supreme deities and was married to the homely craftsman-god, Hephaestus. She was said to have been born from the foam of the sea from Uranus’ blood. Aphrodite involved herself on several noteworthy occasions with the affairs of mortal heroes. When Jason asked permission of the king of Colchis to remove the Golden Fleece from the grove in which it hung, the king was clearly unwilling. So the goddess Hera, who sponsored Jason's quest, asked Aphrodite to intervene. The love goddess made the king's daughter Medea fall in love with Jason, and Medea proved instrumental in Jason's success. Aphrodite can also be said to have caused the Trojan War. This came about in the following fashion. When the hero Peleus was married to the sea-nymph Thetis, all the gods were invited to the ceremony -- all but one that is. The slighted goddess happened to be a specialist in sowing discord, so she maliciously deposited a golden apple on the banquet table. The fruit was inscribed with the legend, "For the fairest". Immediately all the goddesses began to argue about whose beauty entitled her to be the rightful possessor of this prize.

16. Finally it was decided to put the dispute to arbitration. Reasonably enough, the designated judge was to be the most handsome mortal in the world. This turned out to be a noble Trojan youth named Paris, who was serving as a shepherd at the time. So the three finalists -- Aphrodite, Hera and Athena -- sought him out in the meadow where he was tending his flocks. Not content to leave the outcome to the judge's discernment, the three goddesses proceeded to offer bribes. Hera, Queen of Olympus, took Paris aside and told him she would help him rule the world. Athena, goddess of war, said she would make him victorious in battle. Aphrodite sized Paris up and decided he would be more impressed with the guaranteed love of the most beautiful woman in the world. This was Helen, who happened to be married to the king of Sparta. Paris promptly awarded the golden apple to Aphrodite, who in turn enabled him to elope with Helen, who thenceforth became notorious as Helen of Troy.

17. Was a great Weaver • Born mortal • Proud and arrogant woman • Challenged Athena to a weaving contest Arachne