Apollo and Artemis
When the ancient Greek craftsmen and builders toiled away in 550 BC, they knew that their labors would not be in vain; they knew that they would be blessed. To the early Greeks, the legends of the Greek gods were more than legends; they were beliefs that most Greeks shared. Greek mythology is a mystery that captures the imagination of many people. The stories are wonderful and amazing and are still not fully realized for their overwhelming potential. Apollo and Artemis, in Greek mythology are characters who have remarkable stories of deception and intrigue that many Greeks based their everyday life around. The importance of Apollo and Artemis in Greek mythology can be seen in their origins, major stories, and effects on humans.The origins of Apollo and Artemis are similar in the beginning, but their paths diverge early on in life. The chief god, Zeus fell in love with a beautiful nymph named Leto, but Hera, Zeus' wife, was watching so Zeus turned himself and Leto into quails. "Hera saw through this ruse and cursed Leto to not be able to give birth anywhere the sun could shine, but to make it worse she sent a giant serpent named Python to chase Leto away from any spot where she could give birth." (Dowrick 4) Zeus helped Leto by
Zeus gave him a golden bow and arrow to hunt with. But the hero Achilles ambushed and killed him when the young prince and his sister Polyxena secretly visited a spring. However in Rome the arts were viewed as only a form of entertainment. However, to the Greeks in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) she was a prominent deity. While she was pregnant by Apollo, Coronis fell in love with Ischys, son of Elatus, but a crow informed Apollo of the affair. Python followed her out to the island anyway, but because the island was so small the wind blew it faster than Python could follow. Artemis decided to make him perpetually sleep, so she carried him to a cave and he remains there for eternity. It was small and rocky but it would work for giving birth. Some versions say he did sacrifice Iphigenia, others that Artemis exchanged a deer in her place, and took Iphigenia to the land of the Tauri (the Crimea) as a priestess, to prepare strangers for sacrifice to Artemis. As time went by the later Greeks viewed them as good moral stories and found them entertaining, but certainly didn't fear them. When the serpent exited the cave Apollo shot him full of arrows and skinned him. She would show her wrath on anyone who disobeyed her wishes, especially against her sacred animals. Artemis was worshiped in most Greek cities but only as a secondary deity. Orion and hunted alongside him for a great while.
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Acceptance Essays
