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APOLLO 2006
A sculpture by Kallímakhos of Chicago
The sculpture in the color photographs on this page was inspired by the famous statue of Apóllohn (Apollo; Gr. Ἀπόλλων) from the western pediment of the temple of Zefs (Zeus; Gr. Ζεύς) at Olympia. It is a realization in stone of what the statue may have looked like before it had been damaged by earthquake in the fifth century CE.
The original statue was one of the artifacts that was miraculously spared from the fires which overtook Greece in 2007. Some of those who love the history of the country believe that this sculpture, more than any other, exemplifies the spirit of ancient Hellas. In the western pediment, Apóllohn is the central figure in a scene depicting the abduction of the Lapith women by Centaurs. The mighty God holds his arm out to stop chaos and restore harmony to the world. The recreation, while modeled after the original statue, exhibits features that are uncertain because they are missing from the original sculpture. In the recreation, Apóllohn holds out his right hand in friendship. His left hand holds the sword of wisdom and justice. The sun, over which he has dominion, is at his feet.
This sculpture took the author, quite an amateur, six months to complete in 2006. It is quite small, less than a foot tall, and is made of Texas pink soapstone. The sun disk is honeycomb calcite, a translucent and extremely hard variety of marble. Within the base, there are tiny led-lights which illuminate the sun. The wiring to these lights is hidden by an alabaster casement, also hand sculpted. The sword is made of polished brass and it's handle is black steatite.
In 2016 I decided to add precious gemstones to the statue as a devotional offering to the God. His eyes are now emeralds. His nipples are rubies. His lips are dusted with genuine powder of rubies. The platform beneath the rock where Apóllohn stands is studded with many precious gems of good quality. There is a large imperial topaz in the center, flanked by emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and garnets. When you approach the statue, the gems glitter in the light. Bonded to the rock where Apóllohn stands is a small stone from Dælphí (Delphi; Gr. Δελφοί), where is his primary sanctuary, this stone being a religious memento given to the sculptor by his beloved teacher in the religion.
The photographs of the statue were taken by the sculptor who releases all of them to the Public Domain. If you click on the pictures, you can magnify them.
The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony.
We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology.
Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.
Introduction to the Thæí (the Gods): The Nature of the Gods.
The logo to the left is the principal symbol of this website. It is called the CESS logo, i.e. the Children of the Earth and the Starry Sky. The Pætilía (Petelia; Gr. Πετηλία) and other golden tablets having this phrase are the inspiration for the symbol. The image represents this idea: Earth (divisible substance) and the Sky (continuous substance) are the two kozmogonic substances. The twelve stars represent the Natural Laws, the dominions of the Olympian Gods. In front of these symbols is the seven-stringed kithára (cithara; Gr. κιθάρα), the lyre of Apóllohn (Apollo; Gr. Ἀπόλλων). It (here) represents the bond between Gods and mortals and is representative that we are the children of Orphéfs (Orpheus; Gr. Ὀρφεύς).
PLEASE NOTE: Throughout the pages of this website, you will find fascinating stories about our Gods. These narratives are known as mythology , the traditional stories of the Gods and Heroes. While these tales are great mystical vehicles containing transcendent truth, they are symbolic and should not be taken literally. A literal reading will frequently yield an erroneous result. The meaning of the myths is concealed in code. To understand them requires a key. For instance, when a God kills someone, this usually means a transformation of the soul to a higher level. Similarly, sexual union with a God is a transformation.
The story of the birth of the Gods: Orphic Rhapsodic Theogony.
We know the various qualities and characteristics of the Gods based on metaphorical stories: Mythology.
Dictionary of terms related to ancient Greek mythology: Glossary of Hellenic Mythology.
SPELLING: HellenicGods.org uses the Reuchlinian method of pronouncing ancient Greek, the system preferred by scholars from Greece itself. An approach was developed to enable the student to easily approximate the Greek words. Consequently, the way we spell words is unique, as this method of transliteration is exclusive to this website. For more information, visit these three pages:
Pronunciation of Ancient Greek
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