Apollo, the God of the Sun, was one of the only children that Zeus trusted among the Olympian Gods. He was considered the oracle of the Gods and Zeus often used him to convey his messages towards the other Gods. If that is true, why was Apollo punished by Zeus?
Apollo was punished by Zeus for killing the serpentine, Python, who was the child of the Primordial God, Gaia. Python was sent by Hera to find and kill Apollo’s mother, Leto, for Zeus’ act of adultery against her. Zeus punished Apollo to purify him.
Zeus may have loved most of his children but he can’t be biased in his judgment. He was the God of Justice and had to enact it as fair as possible to ensure that order is kept under his rule as King of the Gods. Even Zeus’ children are ordinary when facing judgment.
Who Was Apollo?
Considered to be the most Greek of all the Gods, Apollo was the God of the Sun and was one of the many children of Zeus. He was considered to be one of the most beautiful Gods in the Greek Pantheon, right next to his sibling Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love.
Zeus trusted more than most of the other Gods, enough to make him the oracle of the Gods and the God that conveys his message to the others. The Greeks believed that Apollo was credited to be the inventor of archery along with his twin sister, Artemis.
He was born to Zeus and the Titaness, Leto, who was shunned by all the lands due to Hera’s jealousy born from their adultery. Hera chased her to the ends of the earth which forced Leto to find an island that wasn’t connected to the land to give birth to the twins.
Being one of the most beautiful Gods in the Greek Pantheon, he was considered to be the ideal version of the kouros, a beardless and athletic youth, in Greece.
He was the protector of the young and helps to ward off the evils of the world. Apollo presided over all music, being considered by the Greeks to be the creator of string-music as well.
Why Was Apollo Punished By Zeus?
To explain why the God of the Sun, Apollo, was punished by his father, Zeus, we must first know the circumstances of his birth that led to his eventual punishment. Apollo had committed a blood murder and required to be exiled for his purification to happen.
Before Apollo was born to Leto, the Queen of the Gods, Hera, had sent the serpentine, Python, to hunt her down and kill her. Python chased Leto down to the ends of the earth to prevent her from giving birth to the twins, Apollo and Artemis.
Though Python had failed to prevent the births of the twins, he still had a job to do. By the time Python had found Leto, Apollo and Artemis were already youths.
They fought the serpentine back and Apollo killed him with the bow and arrow provided by Hephaestus, God of the Forge. Apollo was only trying to defend his mother from harm but little did he know, he had done a terrible deed that was unforgivable to the Primordial God, Gaia.
Python was a child of Gaia and the mother earth demanded justice for the death of her child. Gaia asked that Zeus banished Apollo into the depths of Tartarus for his sins, but Zeus had other plans for his son as he wanted his son to be given a second chance. To that end, Zeus had other plans in mind…
How Was Apollo Punished for The Murder of Python?
Instead of banishing him into the depths of Tartarus where he would most likely be banished forever, Zeus instead sent Apollo down to Greece to purify himself. Apollo was to serve as a slave for 9 years before being able to repent for his sins.
The God of the Sun served as a slave for 9 years before traveling to the Vale of Tempe to bathe in its waters, the water of Peneus. It was there that the King of the Gods himself purified his son through a purification rite.
After his purification, Apollo was then escorted to Delphi by his twin sister, Artemis, where he was handed the oracular shrine by the Primordial God herself, Gaia. Since then, Apollo would be known as the God who purified himself from his sins and made men realize their sins to help purify them too.
Earning Zeus’ respect for his integrity, Apollo would then earn a seat by his side. Zeus then gifted Apollo the city of Delphi, a golden tripod, a golden bow and arrow, and a chariot which would become his signature as a God since then.
Summary
Apollo was punished by the King of the Gods, Zeus, for his blood murder of Python who was a child of the Primordial God, Gaia. For his death, Gaia demanded that Zeus banish Apollo into the depths of Tartarus, but Zeus forced Apollo to serve as a slave on earth for 9 years instead.
After his 9 years of servitude, Apollo would be cleansed by his own father and escorted to Delphi where his divinity is restored by Gaia herself. His story is now famous as he was the God that cleansed himself of his sins and the sins of man.
Apollo would then become one of Zeus’ most trusted children as he was given a seat by his side on the right. Zeus also gifted Apollo a chariot that would become his symbol as he rode across the skies, shining bright as the sun grazed across the earth.
