Among the crowd of Olympian gods the one most widely admired was Apollo. He was the son of Zeus and Let to. According to Greek mythology， Leto was driven by Hera from land to land at last Poseidon took Pity on her and brought the island of Delos out of water for her to live on. There she gave birth to the twins， Apollo and Artemis.

Apollo was me sun-god. He wore a purple robe. He usually sat in his bright eastern palace early in the morning and madeready to start his daily journey across the sky. During the day hed rove his carriage of gold and ivory， and brought light， life and love to the great world below. Iate in the afternoon he came to the end of his journey in the far western sea and got on his golden boat to return to his eastern home.

Apollo was the god of music and poetry. He could stir up all feelings. These feelings are expressed in lofty songs. With his lyre of gold and the sweet accents of his godlike voice heled the choir of the Muses at Olympus. The pleasant music from his lyre was so exciting that stones marched into their places in rhythmic time and of their own will when he helped Poseidonbuild up the walls of Troy. On one occasion， invited to a contest by the human musician Marsyas， he won and then flayed him to death for his pride. On another occasion， he lost out to Pan at a musical contest and turned the ears of the judge， King Midas， into those of an ass.

His son， Orpheus， took over such skill from the father that his lyre moved man and animals alike.

Apollo stood for youthful and manly beauty. His golden hair， stately manner and air all combined to make him the admiration of the world. A beautiful girl， by the name of Clytle， was so fond of his beauty and glory that from dawn to dusk she knelt on the ground， her hands outstretched towards the sungod， and her eyes looked at his golden wheeled carriage racing across the blue sky. Though her love was not returned， she had never changed her mind about Apollo. The gods were moved at the sad sight， and changed her into a sunflower.

在眾多的奧林波斯山神中，主神宙斯和雷托之子阿波羅最受推崇。據(jù)希臘神話記載，雷托被天后赫拉驅(qū)趕得四處流浪。最終是海神波塞冬憐憫她并從海中撈起提落島讓她居住。在島上，她生了孿生兒子阿波羅和阿爾特彌斯。

阿波羅是太陽神。清晨他身著紫色袍，坐在那明亮的東方宮殿，準(zhǔn)備開始每日穿越天空的旅行。白天，他駕著用金子和象牙制成的戰(zhàn)車，給廣闊無垠的大地帶來光明、生命和仁愛。黃昏時分，他在遙遠(yuǎn)的西海結(jié)束了旅行，然后就乘上金船返回東方的家中。

阿波羅是音樂神和詩神。他可喚起人們傾注于圣歌中的各種情感。在奧林波斯山上，他手拿金質(zhì)里拉，用悅耳的音調(diào)指揮繆斯的合唱。當(dāng)他幫助波塞冬建造特洛伊城墻時，里拉奏出的音樂狂妄自大。在另外一次音樂比賽中，因輸給了潘神，他就將裁判邁爾斯國王的耳朵變成了驢耳朵。

阿波羅的兒子俄耳甫斯繼承了父親這方面的才能。他的豎琴使人與動物皆受感動。

阿波羅象征著青春和男子漢的美。金色的頭發(fā)、莊重的舉止、容光煥發(fā)的神態(tài)，這些足以使他受到世人的青睞。一位名叫克里提的美麗少女迷戀于他的英俊瀟灑，跪在地上，從黎明到黃昏，雙手伸向太陽神。她凝視著那輛金質(zhì)馬車在蔚藍(lán)的天空馳騁。雖然她的愛并未得到回報，但她對阿波羅的癡情卻從未改變。目睹這悲哀的場面，眾神深受感動，將她變成了一株向日葵。