Olympian deity, god of music, poetry, medicine, etc., later identified with Helios, the sun god; the name is a Latin form of Greek Apollon, said to be perhaps related to an obsolete Greek verb meaning "to drive away" (evil, etc.) [Klein, citing Usener].
The Greek and Roman god of poetry, prophecy, medicine, and light. Apollo represents all aspects of civilization and order. He was worshiped at the Delphic oracle, where a priestess gave forth his predictions. Zeus was his father, and Artemis was his sister. He is sometimes identified with Hyperion, the Titan he succeeded.
Note: As a representative of controlled and ordered nature, Apollo is often contrasted with Dionysus, the god who represents wild, creative energies.
Note: The sun was sometimes described as Apollo's chariot, riding across the sky.