Apollo: the god of beauty, desire and the Oracle of Delphi
When we think of the Greek gods, few have a personality as complex as Apollo. God of music, poetry, beauty, medicine and prophecy, he was one of the most important deities of ancient Greece.
But Apollo also featured in love stories with both men and women that we can now explore from an LGBTQ+ perspective. They include the story of Hyacinthus, one of his best-known male lovers, and that of Cyparissus, another young man associated with the god.
There is one place where all these stories seem to take on a special meaning: Delphi, the sanctuary where Apollo spoke through the Pythia and which the ancient Greeks regarded as the centre of the world.
In this article, we explore who Apollo was, his most important loves, his connection with Delphi and why his story remains particularly interesting for anyone who wants to discover Greek mythology through an LGBTQ+ lens.
Exploring mythology from an LGBTQ+ perspective is not about changing history to make it fit us, but about making visible the stories that were always there.
Apollo at a glance
| Parents | Zeus and Leto. |
| Twin sister | Artemis. |
| God of | Music, poetry, beauty, medicine, prophecy and archery. |
| Male loves | Hyacinthus and Cyparissus, among other stories in the mythological tradition. |
| Symbols | The lyre, bow, laurel and, in later traditions, the sun. |
| Main sanctuary | Delphi. |
| Birthplace | The island of Delos. |
Who was Apollo?
Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. According to mythology, he was born on the island of Delos after his mother was forced to search for somewhere to give birth while being pursued by the wrath of Hera.
From a very young age, he was known for his extraordinary beauty and remarkable range of talents.
He was the god of music and poetry, but also of medicine, prophecy, reason, knowledge and archery. His instrument was the lyre, while the laurel—connected to one of his best-known love myths—was among his symbols.
Apollo also represented an ideal of male beauty that would have an enormous influence on Western art: young, athletic, harmonious and perfectly proportioned.
That is precisely why his figure holds a special place in LGBTQ+ cultural history: he embodied the Greek model of male excellence and his relationships included both male and female lovers.
An important distinction: describing Apollo as a “gay” god would impose a modern category directly onto the ancient world. The Greeks did not understand sexual orientation and identity in the same way that we do today.
What matters is that his stories show how same-sex desire formed part of the mythological imagination of antiquity.
The loves of Apollo: men and women
Apollo’s mythology is filled with love stories. Some end well. Many others end rather badly.
His female lovers include Daphne, Coronis and Cassandra. But several young men also had a special relationship with the god. The most famous of them all is Hyacinthus.
| Figure | Connection with Apollo | Transformation or legacy |
|---|---|---|
| Hyacinthus | A young Spartan prince loved by Apollo. | The hyacinth flower grew from his blood. |
| Cyparissus | A young hunter romantically associated with the god. | He was transformed into a cypress tree, a symbol of mourning. |
| Daphne | A nymph who rejected Apollo and fled from him. | She was transformed into a laurel, one of the god’s symbols. |
| Coronis | Apollo’s lover and the mother of Asclepius. | Her story became connected with the origins of the god of medicine. |
| Cassandra | A Trojan princess to whom Apollo gave the gift of prophecy. | After rejecting him, she was condemned never to be believed. |
Hyacinthus and Apollo: a story of love and tragedy
Hyacinthus was a young Spartan prince renowned for his extraordinary beauty. Apollo fell in love with him, and the two spent their time practising sports and enjoying nature.
One day, while they were throwing the discus, tragedy struck.
According to one version of the myth, the wind deflected the discus thrown by Apollo and it struck Hyacinthus, killing him. Apollo was devastated, and a flower—the hyacinth—grew from the young man’s blood.
In this way, the young man’s beauty survived his death by becoming part of nature. The story of Hyacinthus and Apollo became one of the best-known classical tales of love between two men.
Sparta also celebrated the Hyacinthia, a festival dedicated to Hyacinthus that later became associated with the worship of Apollo.
It is one of those stories that makes Greek mythology so fascinating: love, beauty, desire, tragedy and transformation within a single tale.
Cyparissus: when grief becomes a tree
Hyacinthus was not the only young man romantically associated with Apollo. There was also Cyparissus, a young hunter whom Apollo loved and to whom he had given a tame stag.
Cyparissus loved the animal deeply. But one day, he accidentally killed it while hunting. Overcome with grief, he asked to be allowed to mourn it forever.
Apollo then transformed the young man into a cypress tree, which has been associated with mourning and remembrance of the dead since antiquity.
One young man becomes a flower. Another becomes a tree. Nature is transformed into memory.
Apollo and Daphne: unrequited love
But Apollo’s loves were not exclusively male. One of his most famous myths is the story of Daphne, a nymph who rejected his love.
Apollo fell in love with her and began to pursue her. Daphne, who did not want to return his affection, asked for help to escape and was eventually transformed into a laurel tree.
From then on, the laurel became one of Apollo’s symbols. The laurel wreath would come to be associated with victory, poetry and the god himself.
The story is interesting because it reveals another side of Apollo: a god capable of falling in love, experiencing rejection and feeling desire in a very human way. His stories with men and women all belong to the same mythological universe.
What does Apollo have to do with Delphi?
This is where the most fascinating part of the story begins. If there is one place in Greece that we should immediately associate with Apollo, it is Delphi.
Located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, Delphi was one of the great religious centres of the Greek world for centuries.
Kings, politicians, generals and ordinary citizens travelled there to consult the Oracle of Delphi. Everyone wanted to know what Apollo had to say about their future.
Apollo and the serpent Python
According to mythology, before Apollo arrived, Delphi was associated with Gaia, the primordial goddess of the Earth. The site was protected by an enormous serpent called Python.
Apollo came to Delphi and defeated the serpent with his arrows. He then took possession of the sanctuary and established his cult there.
The memory of Python even remained in the name of the priestess who would communicate the god’s words: the Pythia. This was the beginning of one of the most important religious centres of antiquity.
The Oracle of Delphi: when Apollo spoke through the Pythia
The Pythia was the priestess responsible for communicating Apollo’s answers.
Visitors came to Delphi to ask questions about wars, journeys, marriages, political decisions and personal matters. The Pythia entered a ritual state and delivered her responses, which were subsequently interpreted.
For centuries, the Oracle of Delphi had enormous influence throughout the Greek world. Its prestige appears in stories involving rulers, cities and philosophers. The famous story about the wisdom of Socrates, for example, comes from a question that his friend Chaerephon is said to have asked the oracle.
The sanctuary was so important that cities from across the Mediterranean built monuments and treasuries there to honour Apollo.
The oracle’s answers were famous for their ambiguity. Apollo might give you an answer, but understanding it correctly was another matter.
What to see in Delphi connected with Apollo
If you want to discover Apollo’s story, Delphi is an essential visit. The route brings together mythology, architecture, art, music and athletic competition within a single landscape.
Temple of Apollo
This was the religious centre of the complex and the place associated with the operation of the oracle. Its remains, set against the landscape of Mount Parnassus, form one of Delphi’s most recognisable views.
Sacred Way
The route climbing towards the temple was lined with monuments, statues and treasuries built by different Greek cities.
Theatre of Delphi
Located above the temple, it hosted musical, poetic and theatrical contests connected with the Pythian Games held in honour of Apollo.
Stadium
Athletic competitions were held in the upper part of the sanctuary. Sport, culture and religion all came together at Delphi.
Archaeological Museum
Its collection includes the Charioteer of Delphi and the Sphinx of Naxos, as well as a statue with particular relevance to this perspective: Antinous.
Antinous: male beauty and LGBTQ+ memory
Antinous lived many centuries after Apollo, during the Roman Empire, but his story connects in a fascinating way with the world we are exploring.
He was the young companion and lover of Emperor Hadrian. After his death in AD 130, Hadrian promoted his deification and his image began to appear throughout the Empire.
A magnificent statue of Antinous is preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi.
Looking at his idealised face and body allows us to connect several stories that run through Mediterranean culture: male beauty, love between men, loss and memory.
It also reminds us of something important: LGBTQ+ history did not begin in the modern era. Its roots can also be found in ancient societies, even though their categories, rules and ways of understanding relationships differed from ours.
Why is Apollo such an interesting LGBTQ+ figure?
Because his story allows us to talk about diversity without turning antiquity into a modern version of ourselves.
- Apollo had both male and female lovers.
- Hyacinthus and Cyparissus belong to stories of desire, love and loss between men.
- Daphne and other women also appear in his love stories.
- His image of male beauty has inspired artists for more than two thousand years.
- Delphi allows us to explore this heritage through mythology, archaeology and art.
Discovering Delphi with Apolo Events & Trips
Perhaps it is no coincidence that our travel company is named after Apollo.
Travel is also about looking for answers, discovering stories and seeing the world from new perspectives. Few places represent that idea better than Delphi.
Here we will see the Temple of Apollo, follow the Sacred Way, learn about the history of the oracle and discover some of the great masterpieces of Greek art in the museum.
But we will also have time to explore stories that are usually left out of travel guides: Hyacinthus, Cyparissus, Antinous and the Mediterranean’s long tradition of representing male beauty.
Because travelling through Greece is not simply about visiting ruins. It means walking among stories of gods, lovers, heroes, beauty, desire and memory that have been waiting thousands of years for us to tell them again.
“Know thyself.”
Frequently asked questions about Apollo and Delphi
Who was Apollo in Greek mythology?
Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. He was the god of music, poetry, prophecy, medicine, archery and beauty.
Was Apollo gay?
We cannot directly apply modern categories such as “gay” to a god from Greek mythology. His stories include relationships with both men and women. His best-known male lover was Hyacinthus.
Who was Hyacinthus, Apollo’s lover?
Hyacinthus was a young man of extraordinary beauty associated with Sparta. According to the myth, Apollo fell in love with him and, after his accidental death, caused the hyacinth flower to grow from his blood.
Who was Cyparissus?
Cyparissus was another young man romantically associated with Apollo. After accidentally killing a stag he loved, he was transformed into a cypress tree, which has been linked with mourning ever since.
Why is Apollo associated with Delphi?
According to mythology, Apollo defeated the serpent Python there and established his sanctuary. Delphi later became the place where the Pythia delivered the god’s oracles.
What was the Oracle of Delphi?
It was one of the most important prophetic centres of the ancient world. People from across the Greek world visited the Pythia to consult Apollo about the future.
How is Delphi connected with LGBTQ+ history?
Alongside the stories of male love associated with Apollo, the Archaeological Museum of Delphi preserves a famous statue of Antinous, the companion and lover of Emperor Hadrian.