Editing Apollo (section)

===Female counterparts===
[[File:Gavin Hamilton - Apollo and Artemis, 1770.jpg|thumb|Apollo and Artemis, by [[Gavin Hamilton (artist)|Gavin Hamilton]]|left]]

====Artemis====
[[File:Apollo Artemis Brygos Louvre G151.jpg|thumb|Apollo (left) and [[Artemis]], by [[Brygos]] (potter signed). Tondo of an Attic red-figure cup {{circa|470 BC}}, [[Musée du Louvre]].]]

Artemis as the sister of Apollo, is ''thea apollousa'', that is, she as a female divinity represented the same idea that Apollo did as a male divinity. In the pre-Hellenic period, their relationship was described as the one between husband and wife, and there seems to have been a tradition which actually described Artemis as the wife of Apollo.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} However, this relationship was never sexual but spiritual,<ref>Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1197</ref> which is why they both are seen being unmarried in the [[Hellenic period]].{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

Artemis, like her brother, is armed with a bow and arrows. She is the cause of sudden deaths of women. She also is the protector of the young, especially girls. Though she has nothing to do with oracles, music or poetry, she sometimes led the female chorus on Olympus while Apollo sang.<ref>''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=lNV6-HsUppsC&pg=PA268 s.v. Artemis, p. 268]</ref> The laurel (''[[daphne]]'') was sacred to both. ''Artemis Daphnaia'' had her temple among the Lacedemonians, at a place called Hypsoi.<ref>G. Shipley, "The Extent of Spartan Territory in the Late Classical and Hellenistic Periods", ''The Annual of the British School at Athens'', 2000.</ref> ''Apollo Daphnephoros'' had a temple in [[Eretria]], a "place where the citizens are to take the oaths".<ref>Rufus B. Richardson, "A Temple in Eretria" ''The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts'', '''10'''.3 (July – September 1895:326–337); Paul Auberson, ''Eretria. Fouilles et Recherches I, Temple d'Apollon Daphnéphoros, Architecture'' (Bern, 1968). See also [[Plutarch]], ''Pythian Oracle'', 16.</ref> In later times when Apollo was regarded as identical with the sun or [[Helios]], Artemis was naturally regarded as [[Selene]] or the moon.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

====Hecate====

[[File:Jusepe de Ribera - Hecate, Procession to a Witches' Sabbath.jpg|thumb|Hecate: procession to witches' sabbath, by [[Jusepe de Ribera]]]]

[[Hecate]], the goddess of witchcraft and magic, is the chthonic counterpart of Apollo. They both are cousins, since their mothers – Leto and Asteria – are sisters. One of Apollo's epithets, ''Hecatos'', is the masculine form of Hecate, and both names mean "working from afar". While Apollo presided over the prophetic powers and magic of light and heaven, Hecate presided over the prophetic powers and magic of night and chthonian darkness.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} If Hecate is the "gate-keeper", Apollo ''Agyieus'' is the "door-keeper". Hecate is the goddess of crossroads and Apollo is the god and protector of streets.<ref name="ReferenceB">Carol M. Mooney, B.A., ''Hekate: Her Role And Character In Greek Literature From Before The Fifth Century B.C.''</ref>

[[File:Houbraken, Arnold - Pallas Athene Visiting Apollo on the Parnassus - 1703.jpeg|thumb|left|Pallas Athena visiting Apollo on Parnassus, by [[Arnold Houbraken]]]]

The oldest evidence found for Hecate's worship is at Apollo's temple in Miletos. There, Hecate was taken to be Apollo's sister counterpart in the absence of Artemis.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Hecate's lunar nature makes her the goddess of the waning moon and contrasts and complements, at the same time, Apollo's solar nature.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

====Athena====

As a deity of knowledge and great power, Apollo was seen being the male counterpart of [[Athena]]. Being Zeus' favorite children, they were given more powers and duties. Apollo and Athena often took up the role of protectors of cities, and were patrons of some of the important cities. Athena was the principal goddess of [[Athens]], Apollo was the principal god of [[Sparta]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://publicism.info/culture/apollo/7.html | title=APOLLO, THE YOUNG, AND THE CITY – KEY THEMES – Apollo – Fritz Graf}}</ref>

As patrons of arts, Apollo and Athena were companions of the [[Muses]], the former a much more frequent companion than the latter.<ref>Peter Dawkins, ''The Shakespeare Enigma''</ref> Apollo was sometimes called the son of Athena and Hephaestus.<ref>[[Cicero]], ''[[De Natura Deorum]]'' [https://archive.org/details/denaturadeorumac00ciceuoft/page/338/mode/2up?view=theater&q=Apollo 3.22].</ref>

In the Trojan War, as Zeus' executive, Apollo is seen holding the [[aegis]] like Athena usually does.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0134%3Abook%3D15%3Acard%3D281 15.308].</ref> Apollo's decisions were usually approved by his sister Athena, and they both worked to establish the law and order set forth by Zeus.<ref>1.Homer, ''Iliad'', Euripides, ''Ion'', Aeschylus, ''Oresteia''</ref>