Apollo, the Greek god of music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge, is one of the most important and complex gods in Greek mythology. As the patron of so many important forces, Apollo had connections and relationships with many figures in myth. But among all the gods, heroes, and mortals that Apollo interacted with, who was his very best friend?
Apollo’s Close Relationships
As a powerful Olympian god, Apollo was associated with many other gods, demigods, and mortals across Greek myths. Some of his notable relationships include:
- Artemis – Apollo’s twin sister, the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and moon. The two enjoyed a close relationship as brother and sister.
- Hermes – Fellow Olympian god of transitions, boundaries, commerce, communication, and thieves. Hermes and Apollo worked together on many occassions.
- Dionysus – Half-brother and fellow Olympian. Apollo did not always get along well with the chaotic wine god Dionysus.
- Muses – Apollo served as a leader of the Muses, goddesses of arts, music, and poetry.
- Pan – God of nature, the wild, shepherds, and flocks. Pan could be considered one of Apollo’s followers.
- Asclepius – Demigod son of Apollo. Asclepius represented healing and medicine.
- Orpheus – Mythic poet, musician, and prophet. One of Apollo’s most gifted mortal followers.
- Cassandra – Mortal prophetess given the gift of prophecy by Apollo. When she spurned his advances, Apollo cursed her prophecies to never be believed.
- Hyacinthus – A beautiful Spartan prince loved by Apollo. Hyacinthus died accidentally by a discus thrown by Apollo and was transformed into the hyacinth flower.
- Cyparissus – A mortal boy beloved by Apollo who Apollo accidentally killed. Apollo transformed the grieving Cyparissus into the cypress tree.
While Apollo had many allies, associates, lovers, and followers, a few figures stand out as especially close and beloved friends of the god.
Hyacinthus – Apollo’s Male Lover
One of Apollo’s most celebrated male lover was Hyacinthus, a handsome Spartan prince. The relationship between the god Apollo and the mortal Hyacinthus was tragic, passionate, and immortalized in myth and art.
According to the myth, Apollo met Hyacinthus and was struck by an overwhelming desire for him. Hyacinthus was said to be astonishingly handsome, with glossy curls and a perfectly proportioned body. Apollo became determined to win the affections of the young prince. The two soon became lovers, spending long idyllic days together discus throwing, making music, and strolling through the countryside.
Their bliss came to an abrupt end when during a discus throwing match, the jealous West Wind Zephyrus blew Apollo’s discus off course in order to kill Hyacinthus and eliminate him as a rival for the prince’s affections. The heavy discus struck Hyacinthus in the head, fatally wounding him.
Apollo rushed to his dying lover, but it was too late to save him. The god transformed Hyacinthus’ blood into the hyacinth flower as a memorial. According to the myth, the flower’s petals were marked with the letters AI AI, meaning “alas, alas” in Greek, representing Apollo’s mourning cries.
Apollo refused to allow Hades to claim the shade of Hyacinthus, so his spirit forever lingered on earth and flourished as a flower each spring. Apollo organized athletic games in Hyacinthus’ honor, making Hyacinthus forever remembered as Apollo’s beloved friend.
Key Details
- Hyacinthus was a Spartan prince loved by both Apollo and Zephyrus.
- Zephyrus caused Hyacinthus’ accidental death out of jealousy, by redirecting a discus thrown by Apollo.
- Apollo transformed Hyacinthus’ blood into the hyacinth flower to memorialize him.
- Hyacinthus is remembered as one of Apollo’s greatest male lovers.
Cyparissus – The Grieving Friend
Another beloved friend and companion of Apollo was Cyparissus, a young boy from the island of Ceos. Cyparissus had a pet deer which he loved dearly. But one day, while playing with his pet, Cyparissus accidentally killed it with his hunting javelin.
Cyparissus fell into despair over the loss of his beloved companion. No matter how Apollo tried to console him, the boy remained inconsolable. Cyparissus begged the gods to let his grief last forever. Apollo answered the boy’s prayers by transforming him into the cypress tree, which the Greeks planted at gravesites as symbols of mourning.
According to some versions of the myth, Apollo had wished to make Cyparissus his lover. But his intense grief prevented the boy from reciprocating Apollo’s affections. Nevertheless, Apollo honored Cyparissus by transforming him into the cypress tree as a memorial for his devotion to his pet.
The myth reflects the Greeks’ view of Apollo as a god not just of music and art, but also of transitions, loss, and grief. As a god with dominion over life and death, Apollo bore witness to the mortal realm’s pain and suffering. In the myth of Cyparissus, Apollo memorializes the grief of his friend by transforming it into art in the form of the eternally mournful cypress tree.
Key Details
- Cyparissus was a grieving youth who accidentally killed his beloved pet deer.
- Apollo tried to console Cyparissus but he remained inconsolable.
- Cyparissus was transformed into the cypress tree, which became a symbol of grief.
- The myth highlights Apollo’s role in memorializing mortal grief and loss.
Daphne – The Laurel Tree
One female figure who was famously transformed into a tree by Apollo was the nymph Daphne. Daphne was a forest nymph devoted to the goddess Artemis and bound by a vow of chastity. Her story intertwines with Apollo’s when Eros, angry at Apollo, shot a lead arrow at Apollo, causing him to fall madly in love with Daphne. He also shot a gold arrow at Daphne so she would flee from Apollo.
Apollo was seized by fiery passion for Daphne and pursued her relentlessly. But Daphne wanted nothing to do with love or marriage. She fled from Apollo’s advances. No matter how much he pleaded with her, she refused him.
As Apollo chased Daphne, she became exhausted and cried out to her father, the river god Peneus, to save her. Peneus transformed Daphne into a laurel tree. It was too late for Apollo to take back his passion. All he could do was honor her by making the laurel his sacred tree, promising to wear laurel wreaths and decorate his harp and quiver with laurel sprigs.
While Apollo did not succeed in making Daphne his lover, he honored and memorialized her by adopting the laurel tree as one of his symbols. Daphne, transformed into the laurel, became part of Apollo’s attributes and retinue as a god.
Key Details
- Daphne was a nymph who rejected Apollo’s romantic advances.
- She was transformed into a laurel tree while fleeing from Apollo.
- Apollo honored Daphne by adopting the laurel as one of his symbols.
- The myth explains Apollo’s association with the laurel wreath.
Pan – Fellow Nature God
As a major god associated with nature, wilderness, and shepherds, the rustic god Pan was one of Apollo’s followers and companions. Pan was the son of Hermes, so he was connected to Apollo through their divine fathers being brothers.
Pan and Apollo both loved music – Apollo was more associated with the lyre while Pan favored the panpipes. Pan was one of Apollo’s retinue, a minor nature god who often participated in Apollo’s rites and processions.
According to some myths, Apollo was even indirectly responsible for Pan’s unusual appearance. When Apollo’s pregnant lover Cassandra rejected him, he cursed her so no one would believe her prophecies. When she predicted the birth of a frightful creature that would terrify mankind, no one believed her. But she later gave birth to the goat-legged Pan.
As gods of nature and shepherds, Pan and Apollo likely spent much time together roaming wild areas and watching over flocks. Ancient Greek art commonly depicts Pan and Apollo together. But Pan was more of an amusing follower of Apollo than an equal friend.
Key Details
- Pan was a minor rustic god associated with Apollo.
- They shared connections through music and dominion over nature.
- Pan often took part in Apollo’s retinue and rites.
- But Pan was more of a follower than an equal friend to Apollo.
Hermes – The Closest Contender
Of all Apollo’s divine connections, Hermes was likely the closest thing Apollo had to an equal, trusted friend. As sons of Zeus, Apollo and Hermes were half brothers. But their relationship seem to be one of affectionate friendship more than sibling rivalry.
Hermes was known for being clever, funny, and mischievous. As a god of transitions, travel, communication, and thievery, Hermes complemented Apollo’s attributes well. Hermes’ adaptable, inventive nature contrasted with Apollo’s serious and meticulous nature.
According to myth, Hermes was only a day old when he invented the lyre – Apollo’s instrument! Apollo became enchanted by the music of the lyre and agreed to trade his own cattle in exchange for the instrument. While Apollo was not happy to be tricked out of his cattle by the clever baby Hermes, he recognized Hermes’ musical gifts.
This myth symbolizes how Hermes’ ingenuity and Apollo’s art were intertwined from the beginning. Hermes’ crossroads and Apollo’s temples were also located together throughout Greece, showing their interconnection.
In ancient Greek art, Apollo and Hermes are frequently depicted together, often with Hermes playing the lyre he invented. As gods of communication and knowledge, they likely had many stimulating discussions while roaming the earth and Mount Olympus together.
Key Details
- Hermes was Apollo’s half-brother and fellow Olympian.
- Hermes invented the lyre which became Apollo’s instrument.
- They complemented each other well – Hermes was clever and witty while Apollo was serious.
- Hermes was Apollo’s closest divine friend.
Artemis – The Twin
While Hermes makes for Apollo’s closest friend among other gods, Apollo’s strongest bond of all was with his twin sister, Artemis. Apollo and Artemis were the children of Zeus and Leto. According to myth, they were born on the island of Delos after a long and difficult labor for Leto. This shared beginning established an especially close link between them as twins.
As a brother-sister pair of gods, Apollo and Artemis complemented each other in many ways. Apollo was god of the sun, music, medicine, and knowledge, while Artemis was goddess of the moon, wilderness, childbirth, and the hunt. Yet they also shared similarities – both used a bow and arrow, both maintained choirs of nymphs, and both valued their chastity and independence.
The twins got along quite well, without excessive sibling conflict. According to some versions of myths, Artemis helped defend her mother Leto from the serpent Python while pregnant with Apollo and Artemis. After Apollo was born, he set out while still a baby to slay Python and establish his Oracle at Delphi.
The close bond between Apollo and Artemis is reflected in ancient Greek and Roman art, where they are commonly depicted together hunting, making music, or participating in sacred rites. Of all Apollo’s relationships, his connection to his twin sister was the most enduring.
Key Details
- Apollo and Artemis were the divine twin children of Zeus.
- They shared many complementary attributes as sun and moon deities.
- They got along well and often collaborated in myths.
- Apollo’s strongest bond was with his twin sister, Artemis.
Conclusion
Apollo shared close bonds and history with many figures in Greek myths from gods, to nymphs, to mortals. But a few relationships stand out as truly special friendship to the god. While the Spartan prince Hyacinthus was Apollo’s great tragic male lover and Cyparissus represented devotion in grief, Apollo’s closest friend was his own twin sister, Artemis. They balanced each other perfectly and worked together from the moment of their divine birth to help defend their mother and establish their influence over the Greek world. Of half-brothers and fellow Olympians, clever Hermes also stood out as a trusted companion to Apollo. So while Apollo had many relationships, his best friend was his own sister Artemis, followed by his reliable brother Hermes.