Apollo was the Roman god of music, prophecy, and healing, and Roman tradition identified him as Jupiter’s son.
Apollo originated in Greek religion as the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. When his worship was adopted by Rome, Zeus was identified with Jupiter, so Apollo became Jupiter’s son in Roman mythology. Unlike many Roman gods, Apollo retained his Greek name rather than receiving a completely different Roman equivalent; Roman poets also called him Phoebus.
Apollo’s powers extended beyond music, prophecy, and healing. He was associated with poetry, archery, purification, and protection from disease, although his arrows could also bring plague. His most famous prophetic sanctuary was Delphi, where the Pythia delivered oracles believed to come from Apollo.
Rome established a temple to Apollo during a pestilence in the 430s BCE. The Ludi Apollinares, or Apollonian Games, began in 212 BCE. Emperor Augustus later promoted Apollo heavily, building a temple on the Palatine Hill and linking the god with Rome’s cultural and political renewal.