The Symbols of the Greek God Apollo

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Plus, learn about Apollo’s powers, family, & famous myths

Co-authored by John Paul Gomez and Devin McSween

Last Updated: March 9, 2026 Fact Checked

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Symbols of Apollo

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Who is Apollo?

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Apollo’s Family

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Apollo Myths

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In Roman Mythology

In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollos is known as the god of music, archery, medicine, oracles, and the sun. Whether you’re interested in mythology or a fan of the Percy Jackson series, you may be wondering what symbols are most commonly associated with Apollo. We’ll, we’re here to help! In an exclusive interview with wikiHow, we spoke with an ancient symbols expert to learn about Apollo’s most prominent symbols. We’ll also go over Apollo’s role and powers in mythology, his family and relationships, and most popular myths. Keep reading to learn more!

Apollo’s Symbols in Greek Mythology

An illustration showing the most common symbols of the Greek and Roman god Apollo.

Apollo is the Greek god of music, archery, prophecy, medicine, and light. The symbols most associated with Apollo are the lyre, an instrument that signifies his role as the god of music, and the bow and arrow, which represents his role as the god of archery. Other popular symbols include laurel, swans, and pythons.

Section 1 of 5:

Symbols of Apollo

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Apollo’s most prominent symbol is a lyre, as he’s rarely seen without it. The lyre is a U-shaped stringed instrument, and the god is shown carrying it in ancient pottery, sculptures, and classical artworks. The instrument symbolizes Apollo’s role as the god of music, and he was said to play it for the gods and humans alike.^{[1]
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Meet the wikiHow Expert

John Paul Gomez is an ancient symbols expert and freemason. He has over 17 years in the world of freemasonry and is the Worshipful Master of his Freemason lodge.
The bow and arrow is another prominent symbol of Apollo, representing his title as the god of archery. According to myth, Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis, invented archery, and are some of the best archers around. The god is commonly depicted with his golden bow and arrows in pottery, sculptures, and artwork.^{[2]
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Laurel wreath According to ancient symbols expert John Paul Gomez, the laurel wreath was sacred to Apollo. He explains that the wreath was commonly used to crown poets, athletes, and leaders, signifying excellence and honor, accomplishment and victory, and prestige that’s earned through merit.^{[3]
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John Paul Gomez
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Expert Interview} Apollo is often depicted wearing a laurel wreath or holding a laurel branch in art.
- Apollo is also associated with laurel in general, as he plays a part in the origin of the laurel tree. We’ll dive into this myth, and other myths about Apollo, in the sections below!
- Laurel is also associated with Apollo’s followers. Apollo’s oracles at Delphi were said to chew on laurel leaves.^{[4]
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  Research source} During festivals honoring Apollo, people would carry laurel branches.
The swan is another one of Apollo’s sacred animals, symbolizing his musical nature.^{[5]
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Research source} Swans are also associated with beauty and harmony, which ties them to Apollo. The god was considered the “ideal” man and the most beautiful god on Olympus, and he was believed to represent order.^{[6]
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Research source} Plus, the swan was famously Apollo’s mount: sometimes he rode one, and other times he was pulled by a chariot of swans.
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Raven One of Apollo’s sacred animals is the raven. And according to myth, Apollo is actually the one who created the raven! So, it may symbolize his power as an important Olympian god. Plus, the bird commonly serves as Apollo’s messenger, and the two are often depicted together in artwork.^{[7]
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- In some myths, the raven is called a crow, instead.
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Pythons Pythons (and snakes generally) are often associated with Apollo, and signify his title as the god of prophecy and oracles. He famously slew the snake-like monster Python, which guarded the oracle at Pytho (also known as Delphi). This act made Apollo a prophetic god, and he spoke through the new Oracle of Delphi.^{[8]
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Research source} For this reason, Apollo is commonly depicted with snakes.
- One of Apollo’s most famous epithets is based on pythons: Pythius. Pythius refers to Apollo’s prophetic powers and the area of Pytho (Delphi).^{[9]
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Sun Apollo is linked with the sun as he’s the god of light and largely considered the god of the sun (though, it’s important to note that Helios is the personification of the sun). According to myth, Apollo pulled the sun across the sky each day in a chariot of horses.^{[10]
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Research source} The god is also associated with brightness and light—his most famous epithet, Phoebus, means “shining,” “bright,” or “pure,” and directly refers to his role as the light and sun god.^{[11]
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- Apollo is commonly depicted with rays of light around his head or shown bringing the sun and light into the world.
- In later history, Apollo was considered identical to Helios.

Section 2 of 5:

Who is Apollo?

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Apollo is the Greek god of music, archery, prophecy, light, and medicine. Apollo is one of the twelve Olympian gods, and one of the most revered. He’s a powerful and influential god who has several important functions: he’s the god of music, dance, and poetry; he has prophetic powers and offers wise guidance; and he’s associated with medicine, healing, and purification. Apollo was also considered the masculine ideal: he is handsome, young, athletic, wise, calm, and controlled.^{[12]
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- For this reason, Apollo is the god that ancient Greeks (and later Romans) looked up to the most. Not to mention the fact that he was considered the most beautiful god, too!
- Apollo is also associated with illnesses and plagues. While he largely helped cure people, his arrows could also bring disease and pestilence.
- Apollo was also the patron deity of youth, shepherds, and the arts (primarily musicians, singers, and poets).
- According to myth, the other gods (besides Zeus) trembled in Apollo’s presence due to his might and power.^{[13]
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Section 3 of 5:

Apollo’s Family and Relationships

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Considering Apollo’s parents, it’s no wonder he’s so powerful and widely revered. His father is Zeus, the king of the Olympian gods and god of the sky and thunder, and Leto, the Titan goddess of motherhood. According to most myths, Leto became pregnant with twins and gave birth to Apollo and Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and wilderness.^{[14]
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Apollo is depicted as being eternally youthful, so it’s not a total surprise that he doesn’t have a traditional spouse in Greek mythology. However, he did have many relationships! Some of his most notable lovers were the Muses (particularly Calliope), Daphne (a nymph), Coronis (a mortal princess), and Hyacinthus (a mortal prince).^{[15]
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Apollo only had a few divine children, the most notable being Asclepius, who is the god of medicine, and Aristaeus, the god of beekeeping, cheesemaking, hunting, and shepherding. Some of his notable mortal children include Orpheus, a bard and poet, and Linus, a musician and orator.^{[16]
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Section 4 of 5:

Myths About Apollo

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Apollos’ birth After Leto became pregnant with Apollo and Artemis, a jealous Hera found out and forced Leto to flee, but no land would protect her. She was finally able to find refuge on the island of Delos, but still couldn’t give birth because Hera prevented Eileithyia, the goddess of birth, from going to her. Eventually, Hera relented, and Leto gave birth. Apollo was immediately given nectar and ambrosia, and then he declared that the lyre and bow would be dear to him, and that he would interpret the will of Zeus.^{[17]
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- It’s also said that 7 swans circled around the island of Delos during Apollo’s birth. This number is important, as there are 7 strings on the lyre!
According to myth, Apollo fell in love with the beautiful nymph Daphne. However, she did not love him back. He continued to pursue her, so Daphne prayed to the gods to help her. In most myths, Gaia answered her prayers and turned Daphne into a laurel tree. Apollo then took a branch of the tree and wrapped it around his head.^{[18]
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Apollo and Coronis Apollo fell in love with Coronis, a princess of Thessaly. She became pregnant, and while Apollo was away, he sent a raven (or in some myths, a crow) to watch over her. During this time, Coronis fell in love with the prince Ischys and the two had an affair. The raven told Apollo of the affair, and in his anger, he cursed the bird and turned its white feathers black. He then killed Coronis with his arrows.^{[19]
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- In some myths, Apollo finds out about the affair through his own prophetic powers. A few myths also have him asking his sister, Artemis, to kill Coronis instead.
- Upon Coronis’ death, Apollo cut out his child from her belly. That child was Asclepius, the god of medicine.
Hyacinthus was a Spartan prince who was renowned for his beauty and beloved by many gods. He and Apollo were lovers, but some of the other gods were jealous of that fact. One day, while the two were playing discus, Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, was watching. In his jealousy, he blew Apollo’s discus throw off course, causing it to hit Hyacinthus in the head and kill him. Apollo was filled with grief and used Hyacinthus’s blood to create the hyacinth flower in his honor.^{[20]
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Apollo’s contest with Marsyas Marsyas was a satyr who discovered the flute. Marsyas began playing the flute and found that people loved his musical abilities. He became arrogant and believed he was a better musician than Apollo, so he challenged the god to a musical contest. The contest was neck and neck until Apollo decided to sing, which made him the winner. Apollo decided to punish Marsyas for his arrogance, so he tied him to a tree and flayed him alive.^{[21]
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- According to myth, Marsyas blood became the river Marsyas.

Section 5 of 5:

Apollo in Roman Mythology

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Unlike most Greek gods, Apollo didn’t have a Roman counterpart. The god was simply taken from the Greeks and adopted into Roman mythology, where he was also referred to as Apollo. He had the same powers and abilities, and was also considered the ideal man in Roman culture.^{[22]
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