Zeus and the goddess Leto, daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe, gave birth to two sons who would rise to take their place in the Olympian pantheon. The twins were named Apollo and Artemis, and their arrival in the world was not so simple.
Hera, wife of Zeus, was madly jealous of Leto and tried to prevent the birth of Leto’s two children. She confronted Leto and sent a serpent to terrify the goddess and prevent her from finding a place to give birth to her children. It was the goddess Asteria who offered her sister refuge on the island of Ortigia and there Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollo.
Artermis was born first and immediately set out to help her mother through the nine days of labor she endured to deliver her son Apollo. Leto’s aunt Themis acted as caretaker for the twins, feeding them ambrosia and nectar, the food of the gods.
Apollo and Artemis loved their mother deeply and protected their mother’s safety and honor. A tale from Greek mythology tells how Artemis and Apollo prevented Leto from being raped by Titus in the Delphi grove. Called by his mother, they tied the giant Titus with their arrows which rained down on him and killed him in an instant. Zeus was outraged by Titus’s actions and sent him to Hades.
Another myth tells the story of how Artemis and Apollo killed all the children of the goddess Niobe when she boasted of the superior beauty of her own children, insulting Leto. Although it is not clear if this was in defense of her mother or motivated by her own outrage.
At a young age, Zeus told Artemis to name the gifts she wanted. Artemis chose a bow and arrow, the free kingdom of the mountains, a city to inhabit, and eternal virginity. Zeus granted all these wishes. Artemis would come to be seen as the virgin goddess of the hunt and wildlife. She was also seen as a protective figure for women in labor.
Apollo would become the god of archery, healing, music, and youth. Greek mythology tells how Apollo took the bow created for him by Hephaestus and chased the serpent to Delphi, where he killed it. Gaia was outraged at having desecrated her sanctuary, where the Oracle of Delphi resided. Apollo was not punished for his crime and in time he became the god of Prophecy, and the Oracle of Delphi became the Oracle of Apollo.
He would also become an influential god of music whose musicianship was unparalleled. Many challenged Apollo to contests of musical prowess, but all failed to defeat the god.
Apollo never married, though he was definitely not an immortal virgin. She sired more than a dozen children by many women, both goddesses and mortals.
The twin god and goddess, Apollo and Artemis, were forever connected in Greek mythology. Both are expert archers and hunters who often enjoy hunting together. They also shared the ability to subject mortals to plagues and pestilences.