PHOEBUS--APOLLO.
_Ques._ Who was Apollo?
_Ans._ He was the son of Jupiter and Lato´na. This god was, with his
twin-sister Diana, born at Delos, an island in which Lato´na had taken
refuge from the anger of Juno. This goddess, jealous of Lato´na, sent
the serpent Python to destroy her. One of the first exploits of Apollo
was to kill the Python with his arrows.
_Ques._ How is this god generally represented?
_Ans._ As a young man, comely and graceful. He wears a laurel crown
over his flowing hair; his garments are embroidered with gold; in his
right hand he carries his bow, and bears on his shoulder a quiver
filled with arrows. Apollo and his sister Diana presided respectively
over the sun and moon. The sun is often called Phoebus, or Apollo, and
in ancient pictures the head of the god is represented as darting
rays. Apollo, like other divinities, had many names.
_Ques._ What was the cause of Apollo's being driven from heaven?
_Ans._ He had a son named Æsculapius, who was so skilled in medicine
that he was even able to restore the dead to life. Hippol´ytus, son of
Theseus, king of Athens, was killed by sea-monsters. Æsculapius, by
bringing him to life, so offended Jupiter that the latter killed him
with a thunderbolt. Apollo was much grieved, and, as he could not take
revenge on Jupiter, he killed the Cyclops who forged the thunderbolts.
For this reason Jupiter banished Apollo from heaven.
_Ques._ How did he occupy himself in his banishment?
_Ans._ He guarded the flocks of Admetus, king of Thessaly. Here he had
the misfortune accidentally to kill Hyacinthus, a boy to whom he was
much attached. Apollo mourned deeply for the youth, and caused a
flower to spring from his blood, which is called the hyacinth.
Cyparis´sus was also beloved by the god. The boy grieved so deeply at
having unintentionally killed a favorite deer, that he begged Apollo
to make his mourning perpetual. The god heard his prayer and changed
him to a cypress, the branches of which tree were always used at
funerals. After many adventures and wanderings, Apollo was restored to
the favor of Jupiter, and to heaven.
_Ques._ What favor did Apollo confer on King Admetus?
_Ans._ He obtained from the Fates, that when Admetus should be about
to end his existence, his life might be prolonged, provided another
died willingly in his stead. When the fatal day came, Alcestis, the
wife of Admetus, devoted herself to death for her husband. Admetus
grieved so deeply at her loss that Proser´pine actually relented, but
Pluto remained inexorable. Hercules, however, descended to the shades,
and rescued Alcestis, who was restored to her husband. Euripides has
founded one of his most beautiful tragedies upon this story.
_Ques._ Over what sciences did Apollo preside?
_Ans._ He presided over physic, music, poetry, and rhetoric; and the
nine Muses were subject to him. He regulated the day by guiding the
chariot of the sun.
_Ques._ What else is said of Apollo?
_Ans._ Many absurd and impossible adventures are told. He seems to
have been very vain of his musical skill, as we see from the
punishment he inflicted on Mar´syas, and King Midas for coming in
conflict with him on that point.
_Ques._ Relate these stories.
_Ans._ Apollo was challenged by Mar´syas to a contest in music. The
god was not content with defeating the presumptuous musician, but
flayed him alive, and afterwards changed him into a river, which is
still known by his name.
The punishment inflicted on King Midas was not so cruel. This prince
had the bad taste to declare his preference for the vulgar music of
Pan, in a contest which that god had with Apollo. The insulted deity
caused his ears to grow in length and shape like those of an ass.
Midas endeavored to cover the deformity by his hair, and since it was
impossible to conceal it from his barber, he bound him to silence by
great promises. This man, however, found it so painful to keep the
secret to himself, that to obtain relief, he dug a little hole in the
ground, and whispered it to the earth. What was his dismay at hearing
the hollow reeds which grew upon the spot, whispering, whenever the
wind blew: "King Midas has asses' ears!"
_Ques._ Is anything else related of King Midas?
_Ans._ Yes; he had kindly and hospitably entertained Silenus, the
preceptor of Bacchus, and in return, the god bade him choose any
recompense he pleased. Midas demanded that whatever he should touch
might be turned into gold. This prayer was granted, and he was at
first overjoyed to see plants, stones and all around him transformed
into glittering metal. He soon perceived his folly, however, for when,
pressed by hunger, he tried to partake of the food placed before him,
it was suddenly converted into gold, and when he would have quenched
his thirst, the water was changed into a golden stream. Famished in
the midst of plenty, Midas prayed the god to withdraw the fatal gift.
Bacchus kindly consented, and ordered him to bathe in the river
Pac´tolus. Midas obeyed, but the virtue which left his body was
communicated to the waters of the stream, which was famous ever after
for its golden sands.
_Ques._ Who was Phæton?
_Ans._ He was the son of Phoebus and Clym´ene. At the earnest
solicitation of his mother, he repaired to the palace of the Sun for
the purpose of having his parentage publicly acknowledged. The youth
was kindly received, and Apollo swore by the Styx to grant him any
favor he should ask. Phæton immediately prayed that he might be
allowed to drive, for one day only, the chariot of the Sun. Apollo
tried to dissuade him from his foolish wish, but in vain. The rash
youth was not able to control the fiery horses of the Sun; they
departed from their usual track, and heaven and earth were threatened
with one universal conflagration. Jupiter perceived the danger, and
struck Phæton with a thunderbolt. His body was hurled into the river
Po, where it was found and buried by the nymphs of the place. As his
sisters were weeping around his tomb, they were changed by Jupiter
into poplars.
_Ques._ Who was Daphne?
_Ans._ A nymph beloved by Apollo: she was changed into a laurel while
she was flying from the pursuit of the god.
_Ques._ What things were especially sacred to Apollo?
_Ans._ Among plants, the laurel; among animals, the wolf; and among
birds, the hawk, the crow, and the swan were sacred to this god.