Apollo’s
diversity is unique among the Greek gods. Aside from music, hunting, and
prophecy, he is also one of the sun gods (Helios is the other, and actually is the sun). Apollo is attributed as
both a causer and healer of diseases, thus giving him domain over medicine.
Since he possessed the gift of prophecy, that lent him to becoming the patron
of colonists, who sought his oracular insights to guide them in their colonies.
The other Greek gods and goddesses
all specialize, sometimes hyper-specialize, in one or two main areas, but
Apollo has bucked this trend. His wide-ranging attributes make him
indispensable to the Greek pantheon, and he’s unlikely to be replaced. In fact,
Apollo did the replacing, taking the attributes of other gods for his own, and
of all the Greek gods, Apollo is the only one to make it into the Roman
pantheon name unchanged.
In one
respect, his diverse portfolio embodies an aspect of moderation, which he also
comes to adopt after performing a year of community service for killing the
Cyclopes—the ones who forged Zeus’s lightning bolts, not the ones who tormented
Odysseus. It’s said that he learned his lesson, and changed his tune so that he
was the spirit of moderation, preaching “nothing to excess.”
This is a fine sentiment; however,
the flipside of his diverse portfolio is that he wants it all. He truly has an
excessive number of divine attributes compared to the other gods, rivaling even
Zeus. So, while outwardly he states his favor towards moderation, his nature
from past deeds defines him clearly. More likely, he’s simply biding his time
until he can make a move on Zeus.