ACCORDING TO SOME STORIES APOLLO METAMORPHOSED INTO A DOLPHIN TO GUIDE SHIPS OF CONVERTS TO DELPHI OR THE CENTER FOR HIS WORSHIP WHERE THE OMPHALON STONE OR THE UMBILICUS OF THE WORLD WAS LOCATED (NOWADAYS WE MOSTLY HEAR ABOUT BABIES BORN WITH AN OMPHALOCELE).

DELPHI IS THE SITE WHERE APOLLO KILLED THE PYTHON AND ABANDONED ITS CORPSE TO ROT AS IF TO REMIND MORTALS OF THE PUTRID AND PYOGENIC NATURE OF DEATH.

THE PYTHIAN GAMES AND THE PYTHIAN PROPHETESS PROPHESIZED BY LEANING ON A TRIPOD COVERED WITH THE SKIN OF A PYTHON - APPELATIONS THAT REFLECT THE LOVE OF APOLLO FOR HIS MOTHER LETONA WHO WAS TORMENTED BY THE PYTHON AS SHE WAS SEARCHING FOR A SAFE SPOT ON THIS EARTH FOR A BERTH FOR THE BIRTH OF APOLLO AND HIS TWIN SISTER ARTEMIS.

BEING AN EXPONENT OF PERFECT MASCULINE BEAUTY DID NOT MEAN THAT WOMEN WERE ATTRACTED TO APOLLO - DAPHNE AMONG OTHERS REJECTED HIM.

AS THE GOD OF LIGHT OR ENLIGHTENMENT APOLLO STOOD FOR ARTS AND SCIENCES. HE TAUGHT HIS SON ESCULAPIUS MEDICINE WHOM ZEUS KILLED FOR RESUSCITATING THE DEAD. APOLLO REACTED WITH RAGE AND IN REVENGE KILLED THE CYCLOPS FOR WHICH HE WAS EXILED TO LIVE AMONG MORTALS. APOLLO TEAMED WITH THE MUSES TO MELLOW MORTAL ANIMALS AND STONES WITH MUSICAL HARMONY.

CHALLENGED TO A MUSICAL DUEL BY MARSYAS, APOLLO PUNISHED HIM - MARSYAS WAS FLAYED ALIVE AS APOLLO PLAYED HIS KHITARA (PERHAPS A PRECURSOR OF THE GUITAR).