Apollon (the Romans called him Apollo) was the god of light, music, healing and foretelling the future.
Apollon was an eternal youth who never became a man. He was also a master archer, and a fleet-footed athlete, credited with having been the first victor in the Olympic Games.
Symbols that tell you that a sculpture is of Apollon are the bow, the lyre and the laurel.
Apollon occurs so many times in Greek mythology because he had so many roles.
Apollon was the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. Apollon was the god of music (principally the lyre) and also of prophecy, colonisation, medicine, archery (but not for war or hunting), poetry, dance, study and the carer of herds and flocks. He was also a god of light, the god of plague and was known as the destroyer of rats and locusts.
Apollon was the god of religious healing, and would give those guilty of murder and other immoral deeds a ritual purification. Apollo was connected to the swan, the wolf and the dolphin. He carried the bow and arrows, had a laurel crown on his head and carried the lyre. His most famous tool is the tripod, the symbol of his ability to foretell the future.
Apollon's first task was to get rid of the serpent from the sanctuary of Delphi. The serpent lived by the spring at Delphi and stood guard while the "Sibyl" gave out her prophecies as she inhaled the trance inducing vapours from an open crack in the ground. Apollon killed Python with his bow and arrows. Then Apollon took charge of the oracle. But to make amends for killing the serpent (which was the son of Gaia) Apollon had to serve many years as a cowherd. When he returned to Delphi he came in the guise of a dolphin (Delphi means dolphin). Delphi became the most important oracle centre of Apollon.
Apollon was worshipped throughout the Greek world. Every four years they held the Pythian (serpent) Games in his honour at Delphi. Apollon is usually shown as a handsome young man, clean shaven and carrying either a lyre, or his bow and arrows. There are many sculptures of Apollon and one of the most famous is the central figure of the Temple of Zeus, at Olympia (the one you see in the picture above).
