Greek mythology
08. The Apollo and Artemis
Zeus, king of the gods, was known for his numerous love affairs. Despite being married to Hera, Zeus often pursued other goddesses. Among them, Leto, daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe, gave birth to two of the most important deities in Greek mythology.
Their union was a secret, as Zeus feared Hera's wrath. Leto soon became pregnant with Zeus's children. Hera, the queen of the gods and wife of Zeus, had noticed the subtle changes in the Titaness. Her keen eyes soon discovered Leto's pregnancy. She was consumed by jealousy and anger because she had heard the prophecy about Leto’s children.
The oracle prophesied that Leto would have Zeus' child, that they would be twins, and that the next in line after Zeus would have great power and honor. This revelation fueled Hera’s jealousy and led her to persecute Leto. Hera cursed Leto, decreeing that she could not give birth on any land under the sun. She declared that any land that offered Leto a place to give birth would be flooded.
Terrified by Hera's cruel vengeance, all the earth spirits, nymphs, and deities had no choice but to drive away or reject the pleading Leto. Forests closed their paths to her. Mountains became impassable. Even the vast deserts seemed to shift their sands to deny her rest. Leto found herself continuously moving, unable to find a place to call home.
Even the seas denied her refuge. When Leto approached the coast, hoping to find solace on the waves, the waters churned and rose up, forming barriers that prevented her from entering. The sea itself seemed to push her back towards the unyielding land.
While wandering in search of a place to give birth, Leto tried to drink from a lake, but Hera turned the clear water into mud. She roamed the world until her due date, unable to find a place. Hera’s influence was strong, and no place seemed safe enough.
During this time, Leto caught the eye of Dracon Python, the son of Gaia and Crius. He was the master of the oracle town of Delphi, and he had the gift of foresight and was responsible for delivering Gaia's words in Delphi. One day, Python was granted a vision of the future. In this prophecy, he saw his demise at the hands of Apollo, Leto's unborn son, and the loss of his sacred site at Delphi.
Enraged by this vision, Python decided to prevent her fate by eating Leto and her unborn children. He set out from Delphi, his massive form slithering across the land with terrifying speed and purpose. Leto, still searching for a safe haven to give birth, found herself cornered on a rocky cliff. She saw the monstrous form of Python approaching and realized the grave danger she was in. With nowhere to run, she cried out to Zeus for help.
Zeus, hearing Leto's plea, quickly assessed the situation. Recognizing the threat Python posed to Leto and their unborn children, he decided to intervene. Zeus called forth Boreas, the fierce North Wind. He commanded Boreas to go to Leto's aid, using his powerful gusts to carry her to safety and hinder Python's pursuit.
Boreas arrived just in time, his powerful winds lifting Leto from the cliff. As Python lunged forward, the North Wind created a massive gust that pushed the serpent back.
Leto, cradled in Boreas's protective winds, was carried swiftly away from danger. At this time, the island of Ortygia offered to provide refuge. The island of Ortygia was originally Leto's sister, Asteria. Zeus tried to seduce Asteria, but she firmly rejected his advances and transformed into a quail to fly over the sea. In his anger, Zeus turned her into a rock, condemning her to drift forever on the waves. This small, rocky outcrop in the Aegean Sea had been floating freely, not bound to the earth or sea.
Asteria persuaded Leto, assuring her that Hera would not be too harsh on her, as she had steadfastly rejected Zeus’s advances. Leto promised that once her children were born, she would anchor Ortygia to the bottom of the sea and make it a sacred sanctuary. As if responding to Leto's decision, the island began to transform. The barren rocks sprouted vegetation, and clear springs bubbled up from the ground. Ortygia was preparing itself to be a nurturing home for the divine children soon to be born.
Meanwhile, as Leto, heavy with the children of Zeus, sought a place to deliver her twins, Hera's wrath pursued her relentlessly. Hera, consumed by anger, commanded Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth, to remain on Olympus. Eileithyia, bound by the queen's order, could only watch helplessly as Leto's plight worsened. Leto suffered intense labor pains for nine days and nine nights.
Themis, the goddess of divine law and order, took pity on Leto's suffering. In her wisdom, she devised a plan to aid the expectant mother. Themis asked Poseidon for help to cover the island of Ortygia with waves, clouds, or mist to hide it from the sun. She sent Iris, Hera’s personal messenger, with a bribe of a seven-cubit-long golden necklace to bring Eileithyia to Leto.
With the island of Ortygia hidden, Eilithyia appeared, defying Hera's orders out of compassion for the laboring goddess. With the goddess of childbirth at her side, Leto felt her strength renewed. The first pangs of labor wracked her body, and she gripped the trunk of an olive tree, her knuckles white with the effort. The island was surrounded by the sea, and the waves gently lapped at the shores as Leto prepared to give birth.
Apollo was only four days old when he was born and quickly grew into a strong, handsome young god. Later, the grown Apollo blessed the island of Ortygia and renamed it Delos, meaning “bright island,” fixing it in the middle of the Aegean Sea. He then built a temple and made it a sacred place. The island of Delos became a significant religious center, attracting pilgrims from all over Greece.
When Artemis was three years old, she asked her father, Zeus, for a special gift: eternal virginity. She requested that she remain a virgin for her entire life, a wish Zeus granted. Additionally, Artemis selected nine-year-old maidens from the island of Crete to serve her. She also visited the Cyclopes to receive a bow and arrows. To test their performance, Artemis shot her arrows: the first and second arrows hit trees, the third struck a beast, and the fourth fell into the city of impure men.
Artemis and Apollo grew up to be powerful deities, each with their own domains and followers.
Ps. Because Greco-Roman mythology contains many versions of the same story of the same character, the story you see in Roy's Box may not be the story you know. In Roy's Box, we list the full episodes in chronological order, and where possible, we've adapted non-contradictory versions.