Remains of the Delian temple of Apollo (2006).
‘Make your own nature, not the advice of others, your guide in life’ - From the oracle of the temple of Apollo at Delphi to Cicero.
Delian Apollo
Firstly the epithet ‘Apollo who shoots afar’ or Ἀπόλλωνος ἑκάτοιο, (Apollonos ekatoio) can be seen as a reference to the prophetic as well as forward-thinking, positive nature of Apollo. His arrows aim afar as he is blessed with foresight, a god not of the past but of the future, ‘far-working Apollo’ (3.474-501) prepares for the future. The modern meaning of ekatoio ‘hundreth’ is also of interest as it is derived from hekaton meaning ‘hundred’ (in English we have hectare). Thus we have denoted a unit of measurement which is used in Greek today only in a technical capacity in mathematical and scientific contexts. Further the hecatomb which is mentioned in the Homeric hymns relates to the religious ceremony of the slaughtering of a hundred oxen as sacrifice (in reality as few as twelve made up a hecatomb). The hundred appears also in the Roman centurion (century) and the legislative assembly in the Roman republic of the comitia centuriata.
Here we have elements of measurement, distance and forward projection which constitute the basis of modern science and technology, surely the realm of Apollo.
The sacrifice of the Hecatomb is also of interest as Homer describes in the Iliad:
‘Then they had finished their work and the feast was ready, they ate it, and every man had his full share, so that all were satisfied. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, pages filled the mixing-bowls with wine and water and handed it round, after giving every man his drink-offering.
Thus all day long the young men worshipped the god with song, hymning him and chanting the joyous paean, and the god took pleasure in their voices’ - Iliad 428-450.
Music then is the bringing together of all the elements of measurement defining distances between differences of pitch which are blended harmoniously together in chorus as towards a common theme of triumph (Paean) that is directed towards the future. One can also note that ‘Paean’ in Homer is a healing physician of the gods, as Apollo heals also through his music, especially the ‘Ie Paean’ (Hail Healer) sung by the Cretans walking with Apollo to Delphi.
Commentary on the Hymn to Delian Apollo
The subject of Apollo’s music as stated in the Homeric Hymn:
‘Hymn the unending gifts the gods enjoy and the sufferings of men, all that they endure at the hands of the deathless gods, and how they live witless and helpless and cannot find healing for death or defence against old age.’ - Homeric Hymns (3.182-206).
We see here the realism of Apollo, dealing in reality rather than in the illusory. Apollo praises the higher virtues of the divinity in man and reprimands the lower degeneracy of his animal. All is in order and balance as such themes are matched perfectly with the harmony of his music.
‘The lyre and the curved bow shall ever be dear to me, and I will declare to men the unfailing will of Zeus.’ - Ibid (3.131-132).
By Apollo man is not kept in the darkness of the intoxication of Dionysus or Orpheus, but man arises from his declarations to the fresh clarity of sobriety, to the divinity of acting in freedom by one’s own nature. From this arises the foreknowledge that comes from the maturity of virtue in knowing where the various attitudes, frames of mind and passions will lead a man in his life. How easy it is to predict a man’s downfall or recovery if one gets to know his ways, yet how difficult for one in the dark intoxication of Orpheus’ lyre or Bacchus’ wine to see anything clearly. Yet the sober reason of Apollo casts all into the light, and one may begin to perceive clearly.
Notice also the description of those who worship at the temple of Apollo:
‘long robed Ionians..with modest wives; mindful, they delight you with boxing and dancing and song…well-girded with their swift ships and great wealth.’ - Ibid (3.140-164)
From ‘The gods tremble before him and all spring up from their seats’ we see here the inherent dignity and honour of Apollo and his relation to the gods. ‘Leto unstrings his bow and closes his quiver…makes him sit’ - there is a clear positive maternal influence on the god, as ‘Leto alone stays by the side of Zeus’, as the source of his kindness and model of fidelity. ‘And the Father gives him nectar in a golden cup’ shows Apollo to be a favourite son of divinity, the true inheritor of Olympian virtue. ‘Leto rejoices because she bare a mighty son and an archer’ the dignity of the pride of successful progeny.
Reflection on the meaning of Delos
The response of Delos to Leto:
‘Therefore, I greatly fear in heart and spirit that as soon as he sets the light of the sun, he will scorn this island — for truly I have but a hard, rocky soil — and overturn me and thrust me down with his feet in the depths of the sea’ - Ibid (3.62-82).
Delos describes itself well in fearing its inadequacy to the great dignity of Apollo. This may also press upon those who encounter Apollo today, in looking back at the greatness of the past and its vast accomplishments, we must remember that Apollo is a god of the future and chooses as his starting point a barren and empty island. Each of us may in the same way consider ourselves at the starting point to be of this barren rocky island. We can also see from this the notion of a solid foundation, distant in location as the far-shooting arrows of Apollo. It also relates to the notion of a bright clarity and sobriety which one finds in the unadorned simplicity of Delos. It also functions to remove any notion that Apollo has built on an older tradition or venerated god on the island, its empty state shows us his originality and primacy. This is why Delos is first then Delphi follows, as will be elucidated in our next article on the Pythian Apollo.
Sources:
Hymn 3 to Apollo, Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Ed. (1904) https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0137%3Ahymn%3D3
https://www.platonic-philosophy.org/files/Homeric%20Hymns.pdf
photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_the_Delians