Metamorphoses

Apollo (also known as Phoebus) is the son of Jupiter and Latona and twin brother of Diana. He is the god of music, and his sacred tree is the laurel. Apollo is also famed for his oracle at the Greek city of Delphi. He appears in the Metamorphoses often, interacting often with mortals and other people. As a god, Apollo frequently does as he pleases, either disregarding the desires of mortals or punishing them, although he does occasionally treat them with kindness. For example, when Apollo defeats the satyr Marsyas and then punishes him mercilessly. Ovid writes, “Apollo stripped his skin; the whole of him / was one huge wound, blood streaming everywhere” (133). This is a particularly violent torture for merely losing a contest but is emblematic of the capricious way the gods occasionally wield their power. On the other hand, Apollo treats his beloved Hyacinth with great gentleness. When he cannot save Hyacinth’s life, he causes a flower to emerge from his blood, creating some beauty from the tragedy of his accidental death.