Greek Mythology

One commonality in the image of Zeus in Hesiod’s Theogony and Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound is that Zeus is portrayed to be an unfair God who leads his newfound rule through intimidation and punishment. We see much of the extent of Zeus’s fear of opposition in the way he punishes Prometheus for defying his rule.

As demonstrated in Theogony, “there is no way of deceiving or evading the mind of Zeus, since not even…sly Prometheus, escaped the weight of his wrath” (Hesiod, lines 97-98). Zeus is under the impression that he should hold the utmost power, and his indifferent and harsh treatment towards humans and anyone who crosses him perfectly encaptures this.

Prometheus Bound opens in the wasteland of Scythia, with the gods Power, Violence and Hephaestus entering with a restrained Prometheus as their prisoner. As per Zeus’s orders, the deities are to chain Prometheus up for disobeying and tricking Zeus. Hephaestus reluctantly carries out this order, though the other two gods are less sympathetic. When the deities leave, and Ocean and his daughters, the chorus of Oceanids, enter, we learn of the crime Prometheus committed.

Prometheus stole fire and gave it to the humans as it was necessary for their survival, even though this was an act prohibited by Zeus. As punishment, Zeus orders Prometheus to be chained up to a mountain. Though Zeus is not directly in the play, we get a sense of the type of ruler he is through the other characters, such as when Power declares that Prometheus, “must submit to the tyranny of Zeus and like it, too” (Aeschylus, lines 19-21).

Interestingly, Zeus’s absence from the play provides a notable outlook on his character as we are left to better understand him through his followers who are very subservient towards him. Zeus clearly has unchecked power over Power and Violence and this is evident when Power says, “What the Father wants done you’ve got to do”, and, “But how can you refuse the Father’s orders! Don’t they scare you even more?” (Aeschylus, lines 5-6, lines 76-78).

Power states this as if questioning Zeus’s orders is an inconceivable notion. However, though Zeus is depicted to be a tyrant by the other characters, there is no doubt that Prometheus’s actions were indeed rebellious and threatening to Zeus’s rule. But, because Prometheus is a character that we come to pity because of his justifiable acts and the sympathy displayed upon him by his friends, the chorus and Hephaestus, Zeus’s punishment seems even more harsh and because of this, the audience sees him as an unfair ruler.

Similarly, in Hesiod’s Theogony, Zeus is portrayed to be an unjust character. Prometheus feared that Zeus would destroy mankind, so in order to protect mankind from Zeus’s wrath, he devises a plan to deceive Zeus. After Zeus demanded that humans offer a sacrifice of their best meat to him, Prometheus wraps two bundles of ox meat: one with the best meat hidden inside the ox’s stomach, and the other with the bones wrapped in fat as if to appear to be the better of the two choices. Zeus recognized the deception and in order to punish Prometheus, he takes fire away from mankind.

Prometheus proceeds to steal fire from Mount Olympus, at which point Zeus decides to retaliate in the worst way he knows how: by giving mankind women. Zeus’s constant reprisals and acts of spite appear to be done in an effort to assert his dominance as a new ruler. To punish Prometheus, Zeus, “bound craftly Prometheus in inescapable fetters, grievous bonds, driving him through the middle of pillar. And he set a great winged eagle upon him, and it fed on his immortal liver” (Hesiod, lines 427- 429).

In Theogony, we see Zeus unleash his wrath on many other characters as well, such as Atlas, who is condemned by Zeus to hold up the sky, and mankind who is given the advent of women and are forced to give up their lives of leisure to care for their newfound families. Based on these unfair and cruel acts, Zeus is depicted to be a strict leader who operates through his own definition of justice that stems from his fear of being defied or questioned.

This commonality in the portrayal of Zeus’s character in both Theogony and Prometheus Bound, emphasizes the fact that Zeus is a figure that fears opposition. Zeus represents the figure in Greek mythology that feels his control could be threatened, much like his parents, and his actions towards those who disregard his rule and towards those who are more or less innocent bystanders show this. Prometheus, for example, represents a figure who is not afraid to challenge a leader’s rule, so long as he is doing it in the best interest of those that are less fortunate.

However, this raises concern for Zeus because Prometheus’s disregard to Zeus could possibly inspire others to act the same. Therefore, this emphasis makes Zeus a figure that is relevant to our world today because he represents dictators and leaders throughout history and in modern day time whose inept actions of ruling are reminiscent of Zeus’s egotistical and spiteful retaliations.

Charles Wallace Mrs. Lopale CP English 10 7 May 2012 The Greek Gods and Their Role in Antigone The Greek gods were thought of as the most powerful forces to ever exist in ancient times. In turn, they played a pivotal role in the Greek people’s lives. Their power and influence over the Greek people is evident in many of the stories in Greek literature. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, the most powerful Greek gods, each played a part in the story of Antigone by Sophocles. Throughout the play, “God” refers to Zeus, the king of gods. Antigone’s main motive for defying Creon is that she does not think Creon is doing what the gods would want. Which of us can say what the gods hold wicked. ” That quote means that Antigone does not think people can understand the way gods think. Haimon references Zeus when asking Creon not to punish Antigone too harshly. Creon swears to the gods that he will kill Antigone in front of Haimon. At the end of the play, Creon realizes that “the laws of the gods are mighty, and a man must serve them to the last day of his life. ” The messenger also prayed to Persephone and Hades to beg that Haimon and Antigone are still alive. Antigone knew that she would die if she went against Creon, but figured disrespecting the gods was more dangerous.

She had so much faith in the gods that she never doubted that she was doing the right thing – “I know I am pleasing those I should please most. ” Although the gods were rarely directly mentioned, they were in control of mostly everything. (Sophocles. ) There are three main Greek gods, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. They are the most powerful gods because they are the sons of the most powerful titan, Cronus. They rule the three domains of Earth. Zeus is king of the sky and heavens, Poseidon is king of the sea, and Hades is the ruler of the Underworld.

They got assigned their domains in a random draw. (Gall. ) Zeus is the king of all the gods. He controls the sky and heaven domain, and is the most powerful of all the gods. His weapon is a thunderbolt, in which he uses to cast lightening down at people. The eagle, scepter, or the lightning bolt is usually used as a symbol for Zeus. The Oak tree is also a sacred symbol of his. Greek mortals made many sacrifices to him and built many sanctuaries in his honor. In ancient Greece, any mortal who claimed to be a child of Zeus gained instant respect from the other mortals.

He was also looked at as not just one of the many gods, but God himself. Zeus has been mentioned in nearly every work of ancient Greek literature that has survived to the present day. (Gall. ) Zeus’ story is a lot like Oedipus’, Antigone’s father, story. Uranus, the first king of the universe, and Gaea, the Earth mother, made a prophecy that Zeus would become king of the gods. Cronus knew that one day, one of his sons would overthrow him, so he swallowed every child that his wife, Rhea, gave birth to. However, when the sixth child was born, Rhea hid him and tricked Cronus in to swallowing a stone instead.

She fled to the island of Crete and left Zeus there, fearing for her safety. When Zeus grew up, he knew he was ready to defeat his father. He knew he would need held, though, so he got his wife, Metis, to feed Cronus a herb that would make him throw all of Zeus’ brothers and sisters up. It worked, and Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, Hades, and Hestia were freed. Together, they all defeated Cronus, and Zeus was the new king of the gods. (Gall. ) Poseidon is the Greek god of the sea. He is known for being violent and moody, and he carried a three-pronged spear called a trident.

The horse and dolphin are considered his sacred animals. Poseidon is often referred to as the “Earth shaker”, because he sends out earthquakes when he is not happy. He is also the son of Cronus and Rhea, and is the second most powerful god. He is one of the three supreme gods of the Earth. (Gall. ) In one of his temper tantrums, Poseidon realized he was not happy with his ocean domain, and wanted to try and overthrow his brother, Zeus, and become king of the gods himself. Poseidon asked for help from Apollo, the god of light and music. Together, they bound Zeus with chains.

Zeus had too much strength and power and freed himself very quickly. Zeus was furious with Apollo and Poseidon. As punishment, he sent them to work as laborers for Laomedon, the king of Troy, a city in what is now considered Turkey. Laomedon promised a very big reward if they could build a wall around the city of Troy. However, after they built the wall, Laomedon refused to honor his agreement and did not pay them for their work. In turn, Poseidon and Apollo sent a plague and a sea monster to destroy the city of Troy. (Gall. ) Hades is the Greek God and ruler of the Underworld.

He is often associated with wealth and agriculture. He is also the son of Cronus and Rhea and the third most powerful Greek god. Unlike his two brothers, his realm cannot be seen by anyone living. The Greeks believe that his name, Hades, means “The Unseen One. ” He is the only god that does not live on Mount Olympus; he has his own glittering palace made of pure gold and gems in the Underworld. The Greeks believe that when mortals die, their souls go to the Underworld. The Underworld is thought of as a dark and gloomy place, with ghosts flittering around everywhere.

When the dead entered the Underworld, they drank from the river Lethe to forget their lives on Earth. That is when they become ghosts. Hades is often considered the evil god by many of the Greeks. (Gall. ) Hades lived a very lonely life alone in the Underworld. He had an infatuation with a specific goddess, Persephone, daughter of Demeter, the goddess of harvest. Hades kidnapped Persephone and made her his queen. For years, Persephone demanded that she be brought back to her mother, but Hades did not listen. Demeter demanded that she would not allow anything to grow for the mortals until Persephone had been returned.

As the mortals started suffering, Zeus decided it was time to step in. He demanded that Hades let Persephone go. Persephone had already eaten the fruit of the Underworld, though and could not return. Zeus made a deal with Hades that Persephone had to stay in the Underworld for six months out of the year, and could stay with her mother the other half. (Gall. ) The Greek gods played a big role in many of the lives in ancient Greece. Although they are not as well known or referenced today in Greece, they play a big part in the literature and history of Greece.

Works Cited Sophocles. “Antigone. ” Glencoe Literature. Ed. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Douglas Fisher, Beverly Ann Chin, and Jacqueline Jones Rayster. Comlubus, OH: Glencoe/McGraw Hill, 2009. Gall, Timothy and Susan. “Zeus. ” The Lincoln Library of Greek and Roman Mythology. Vol. 5. Cleveland: Eastward, 2006. Gall, Timothy and Susan. “Poseidon. ” The Lincoln Library of Greek and Roman Mythology. Vol. 5. Cleveland: Eastward, 2006. Gall, Timothy and Susan. “Hades. ” The Lincoln Library of Greek and Roman Mythology. Vol. 5. Cleveland: Eastward, 2006.

Greek mythology started over 2000 years ago and it is still influencing our world of today. Traveling the world or just being more conscious of the area that you live in you will be seeing many names or things and guess what, many of those came from Greek mythology. For example, Olympic games or many movies like “Wrath of the Titans” or games like ” god of war” derive from Greek mythology. Those and many others explain how Greek mythology continues to play role in our world of today.

The articles, “You already know Greek myths Greek and Roman mythology in daily life” by N. S Gill, “Genesis of Greek mythology and Greek gods” by Rachel Ann, and “Greek influences today” explain how Greek mythology plays a role in the world we live in today. Many things are related to Greek mythology. According to the article “You already know Greek myths Greek and Roman mythology in daily life” N. S Gill states that,”000 figures behind the name of your car like Saturn or mercury, or names of planets were Greek gods names”.

He also included that Space missions and one very famous “Apollo” is named for the god of music and prophecy. The author states” petroleum company whose logo is the winged horse Pegasus”, and “A moving company is named for the Titan”, and there are much more companies whose logo or names come from Greek mythology. Some plants or expressions or similes are related with Greek mythology for example the author claimed “The Narcissus flower was originally a vain young man”. It may not make a difference to quality of life but knowing the real origin of things and names that are around you will give you insight into our cultural heritage and understanding” N. S Gill claimed. The earliest Greek mythology gave a life style for many people who desire to grasp the universe began. According to the article “Genesis of Greek mythology and Greek gods” Rachel Ann states that “Early Greeks had faith that gods ruled the earth, so they built statues and cities that are named after gods and some of them remain to the day of today”.

There are many good stories about Greek mythology and some of them are true, there were stories about Olympic games or how zodiac signs works and there are real Olympic games and we do use the zodiac signs now days as the Rachel Ann claims so in her article. The Greeks also have influence on our world of today in a major and simple things. According to the article “Greek influences today”, the author claims that “Greeks had a lot of educational and social influence on us”.

The author also explains that, Greeks created the first idea of democracy and they were first monarchy, but with time there has been invented new, better way of ruling, it was a direct democracy. It has been improved in these days for representative democracy of course. The author states “They were first civilization to use alphabet and our alphabet partly originate from it”. At time when part of Egypt was part of Greek empire. The author included facts like that, the general ordered to build first in the world library with scrolls of knowledge and also in Egypt the first huge lighthouse was built.

Additionally the ancient Greeks excelled in mathematics and science, they calculated and theorized many things like earth is revolved around sun or how stars move or developed Pythagorean Theorem. We also use Greek architecture now days, those huge pillars and Greek flowers styles on a buildings. Greeks and their mythology have good influence on our world of today, our society and education is developed thanks to them. It is good to know where some things first started and to know even a bit of Greek mythology makes life more interesting as it makes it more cultural.

The Greek god, Morpheus, also known as ‘He who forms’, is the Greek god of dreams. The Greeks believed that he shaped and formed dreams for mortals. Morpheus played an important role as a god; he was the leader of the Oneriroi tribe. The tribe was made up of himself and his three brothers, Icelus, Phobetor and Phantos. The Oneriroi were a well-known tribe and had the duty of creating dreams for humans. They were often asked to create dreams to warn mortals of danger and future experiences.

This was especially important in the case of kings, queens, heroes and heroines, such as Queen Penelope and Agamemnon. Icelus was the creator of dreams of reality and truth. Phobetor represented fearsome and alarming dream, playing a role in dreams in the form of an animal. Phantos, as you may notice by his name, created dreams of fantasy; these were often the most strange and unrealistic dreams of all. He would appear in dreams as inanimate objects, such as earth, rocks, water and plants. Morpheus, the leader of the tribe, was the vital dream creator, appearing as humans in a dream.

Unlike his brothers however, Morpheus could simply send thoughts and objects into dreams, without having to play a role in them himself. The Oneriroi lived at the coast, on the seashores. Morpheus, during his lifetime, is said to have lived in a dark cave, filled with poppy flowers. Morphine, a well-known painkilling drug, which is derived from poppy flowers and induces a dream-like state, is named after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Morpheus’s uncle is Thanatos, the God of Death. His grandparents are Nyx, Goddess of Night and Erebus, God of Darkness.

Morpheus was said to be romantically involved with Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow. As a god, Morpheus possesses the natural powers & abilities of an Olympian god such as immortality, omnipresence, vast strength, and the potential to do magic such as the ability to shape-shift, to teleport and to manifest objects. As the God of Sleep he makes mortals and other gods fall asleep in his “sleep blanket”. However, even he is not immune to falling asleep in this blanket, as seen in the episode Hercules and the All-Nighter. Morpheus also appears to bring the night by dragging his blanket across the sky.

Greek Mythology is a group of teachings and myths that were originated by the ancient Greeks, when they were trying to understand the origin of things in the sky and on earth. This myth was a big part of the religion of the Greeks. Hesiod offers the theogony, which tells of the dealings with the creation of the world, and the origin of the gods, titans, and giants. Athena, also called Athene, was a goddess of many things like wisdom, and courage. She was born to Zeus and Metis in Mount Olympus.

She was fully grown and wearing armor from head to toe. Athena is said to be a pre-Hellenic goddess that was taken by the Greeks. Her story shows that the people were looking for closure over wisdom and war during this time. This myth seeks to explain some countless inventions. She has a major influence on today’s culture.

For instance, her helmet is featured on the crest of West Point Academy, as well as represented the first branch of the United States Army just for women. Although there are many different stories of how Athena came to be, most known one is that Zeus swallowed Metis and Athena sprang from his head. Because she is the goddess of many things, Athena is featured on many modern crests, was praised by the Greeks in their time, and was supposedly the origin of many great inventions.

Although classical Greek culture was during the period of the 4th and 5th centuries, ancient Greek culture and myths are tremendously influential in many aspects like, language, politic, educational system, philosophy, science, the arts, and the gods. For instance, our country is a democracy. Democracy is said to originate from Greece. Not only that, we use the gods and goddesses in our everyday life. Athena’s helmet is featured on the West Point Military Academy crest. Her head is represented on the first branch of the United States Army that is for women.

Hellenic polytheists worship the Greek gods, olympians, nature divinities, underworld deities, and heroes. Hellenic religion is any systems of beliefs and practices of the ancient Greeks during the Hellenic period and the Roman Empire. Religion was very important to the Greeks because they believed that religion would make their lives better. This Hellenistic world was made after conquest that went from India to Egypt and took about 20 to complete after Alexander the Great’s death. (Hellenistic Culture)

Athena was born to Zeus and Metis, at Mount Olympus, fully grown and wearing full armor from head to toe. Athena is said to be a pre-Hellenic goddess that was taken from Zeus by the Greeks. There are many different versions of how Athena came to be. Most say that Zeus and Metis conceived a baby girl. Before Metis gave birth, Mother Earth told Zeus that a child born to Metis would one day overthrow his throne. He became worried because that is the same thing he did to his own father. Zeus challenged her in a shapeshifting contest; she turned herself into a fly and taking the advice of Gaea and Uranus, Zeus swallowed her up. A few days later, he started to get dreadful headaches and asked his son, Hephaestus, to take an axe and crack his head open.(Temple)

Some versions say that Palamon and Hermes helped Zeus give birth. Others regard her to be his daughter, but also as the daughter of Pallas, whom she killed later because he tried to desecrate her chastity. Another that was transplanted to Libya, says that she is the daughter of Poseidon and Tritonis. According to Athena, herodotus became enraged with her father and went to Zeus, who later stepped in as her father. These were regarded more as Hellenistic Myths (“Athene”)

Athena was a goddess of many aspects like wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.She was the goddess of arts and crafts because of her spinning and weaving. She was the goddess of war and wisdom because she sprang from Zeus’s head and she was a ruthless warrior. She was very strategic and skilled during warfare. She is often portrayed as the companion of heroes is the patron goddess of heroic endeavour. (“Athene”)

Athena was featured in many heroic stories. One being, when she assisted Odysseus in his adventures. Odysseus and Athena were similar. He was the Greek King of Ithaca just as she was a great goddess. They had some of the same qualities. They were both nondiscriminatory, and clever. When it came to helping Odysseus in the Trojan War, she was there. Other gods didn’t like that he was helping the Trojans. Most of all, she helped him on his way home, because he ran into many obstacles.

He was imprisoned by Calypso then, when he escaped, he went sailing through storms, which later resulted in many shipwrecks. He then found himself in trouble with many other gods like, Poseidon and Polyphemus. Athena did not want to make the other gods angry, so she only offered Odysseus wisdom. When he returned safely to Ithaca, Athena helped him disguise as a beggar.

A less heroic story of Athena, is when she accidentally killed her friend, Pallas. As a young woman, Athena didn’t quite fit in on Mount Olympus. So she went out to find a friend, Pallas. Her new friend was the daughter of Triton, the sea god. The often practiced their combat skills with each other. On time they were doing their session when Pallas took a fatal blow from Athena. Feeling sorrowful, Athena put a statue of Pallas near Zeus’s throne Mount Olympus.(Temple)

Athena has a major influence on today’s culture; her helmet is featured on many things of the United States. One being the West Point Academy crest. Her helmet represents her wisdom, while her sword represents a warrior. The seal of California also features her head. It symbolizes the goddess of wisdom overlooking the scene. (Seal of California) The US Women Army Corps shows her head as their insignia.
Athena is said to be the origin of many things that make up Greek culture.

She made the statue of Pallas that sits near Zeus’s throne. She helped many heros on adventures, like the one with Odysseus. She also has tremendous influence on modern culture. For instance, she is featured on the Seal of California, the U.S. Women’s Army Corp, and the West Point crest. Its is clear that Athena is relevant in both ancient times and modern day culture. She is, many times, the symbol of power, wisdom, and valor. This is what makes her so influential in the world.

Apollo, sometimes known as Phoebus Apollo, was a major god in ancient Greek mythology and was one of the Twelve Olympians. He was the god of music, poetry, archery, healing, the sun, and prophecy, as well as patron of the arts and the oracle. During the time of the ancient Greeks, Apollo was one of the most important and widely worshipped gods. According to The World Book Encyclopedia, “Only Zeus was more widely worshipped than Apollo.” (Philips 566). Today, he is still remembered as one of the most famous gods in Greek mythology.

Apollo was a god with various realms. He was the god of music, and he was thought to be a better musician than any other god or man. He was the god of poetry, and was able to recite eloquent lyric poems while masterfully playing the lyre. He was also the god of healing, and was attributed with giving the knowledge of medicine to mortals. When taking the Hippocratic Oath, Ancient Greek doctors would swear by “…Apollo, Asclepius, Hygeia (Health) and all the powers of healing…” (Grant 144). Although he was the god of healing, he was also known to bring the plague.

Apollo was the god of archery as well, and both him and his sister Artemis were excellent with a bow and arrow. Later during the Hellenistic period, Apollo replaced Helios and was regarded as the god of the sun. According to The Encyclopedia of Greco-Roman Mythology, “In later writers Apollo was identified with the sun god, the result of Egyptian influences, at which time his sister, Artemis, was identified with the moon.” (Dixon-Kennedy 40). Apollo was even patron of the arts. As said by Philip Matyszak in The Greek and Roman Myths, “Apollo took his job as patron of the arts very seriously.

He took the muses into his charge, and even today, many towns and cities have multiple shrines to Apollo in Odeons – originally temples where music and drama were celebrated.” (Matyszak 83). But most importantly, Apollo was the god of prophecy and patron of the oracle. As noted by Mike Dixon-Kennedy, “As the god of prophecy Apollo could confer that gift to gods and mortals alike, and of all the centers of worship, Delphi was the most famous.” (Dixon-Kennedy 39). The oracle of Delphi was visited by those seeking advice not only from Greece, but from all over the ancient world.

At the oracle of Delphi, “The prophetess of Delphi, often called the Pythia, sat on a large three-legged stand or tripod. In a state of ecstacy inspired by Apollo, she frequently uttered his oracles in a strange and puzzling form.” (Hamilton 814). There, a priest would interpret the oracles and share them with the public. The oracle’s importance to the ancient Greeks could not be understated. For the Greeks, the prophecies that Apollo made through the oracle could determine the future of everything.

Like his realms, Apollo had a personality that varied. Philip Matyszak describes him as “…the most human of the gods, being both gifted and unfortunate, civilized yet capable of dark barbarism.” (Matyszak 83). On one hand, Apollo was
Appearance-wise, Apollo was thought to be the epitome of male youth and beauty.

Apollo, like most other gods in Greek mythology, had an intricate family tree. His father was Zeus, ruler of the gods. His mother was the Titaness Leto, who after giving birth to Apollo and his twin sister Artemis, became the goddess of motherhood. Apollo’s sister Artemis was goddess of the hunt, the moon, the wilderness, and childbirth. Apollo’s grandparents were Titans Cronus and Rhea, Zeus’s parents, and the Titans Coeus and Phoebe, Leto’s parents.

Apollo had a numerous amount of half-siblings, like Ares, god of war, Athena, goddess of warfare and wisdom, Dionysus, god of wine, Persephone, goddess of springtime and flowers, and Hermes, god of trade, thieves, and travel. Apollo had many children of his own, including Asclepius, minor god of healing, and the legendary Greek heroes Orpheus, Aristaeus, and Troilus.

Apollo had many symbols. One symbol of his was the bow and arrow because he was the god of archery. The most famous of his symbols was the lyre, which is “…an ancient stringed musical instrument that resembles a small harp.” (Loft 537). One reason why this was one of his symbols is because he was the god of music. Another reason is due to an ancient Greek myth that Diane Harris Cline mentions in The Greeks, saying:

Zeus lay with Maia in a mountain cave, to hide from Hera, his wife. At dawn Maia gave birth to a precious infant, the god Hermes. An hour later the baby crawled out of the cave and saw a tortoise. Inspired, he cut the creature from its shell. He attached arms and a crosspiece, added strings of sheep gut, inventing the seven-string lyre, the first tuned instrument. By noon he was performing hymns.

The next time Hermes left the cave, he stole 50 of Apollo’s cattle, walking them backward and wearing huge sandals to fool investigators. He crawled back into his crib, playing the innocent baby when Apollo came asking questions. Apollo had his suspicions, so he took Hermes to court. Zeus let the boy off. Apollo heard Hermes play the lyre and asked for it as compensation for the cattle. Hermes handed it over. (Cline 173)

Another one of Apollo’s symbols was the laurel tree, and he was often depicted wearing a crown of laurel leaves. The reason for this is because of the myth of Apollo and Daphne, which is explained in The Greek and Roman Myths:

If Apollo was not lightly mocked, nor was Eros, another archer god. For criticizing the feeble arrows of the matchmaker, Apollo was shot through the heart by an arrow of Eros that was tipped with gold. This caused him to fall desperately in love with the nymph Daphne (Laurel).

Yet Daphne had been shot with a lead-tipped arrow of Eros, which caused her to flee Apollo’s advances until, unable to flee further, she changed herself into a tree which now bears her name (bay laurel). Still Apollo would have her, using the wood for his lyre and his bow, while the leaves of the tree were used for the wreath which crowned the victors in competition… (Matyszak 84)