Leto
Sign in to saveIn ancient Greek mythology and religion, Leto (; ) is a childhood goddess, the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe, the sister of Asteria, and the mother of Apollo and Artemis.
AI overview
Leto is a goddess from ancient Greek mythology who was the daughter of two Titans and is best known as the mother of Apollo and Artemis, two of the most important deities in the Greek pantheon. She matters as a figure in understanding Greek religious beliefs and the family relationships among their gods, particularly as the mother of two major Olympian deities.
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Key facts
- Deity.type
- Greek
- Deity.name
- Leto
- Deity.image
- Tityos Leto Louvre G42.jpg
- Deity.caption
- The Rape of Leto by Tityos (c. 515 BC): Apollo (left), tries to grasp Tityos, Leto (middle) pushes him and Artemis (right), ready to stop him. Attic red-figure amphora from Vulci. c. 510–520 BCE, by Phintias Painter. Louvre, Paris
- Deity.god_of
- Childhood goddess
- Deity.abode
- Delos, Olympus
- Deity.animals
- Rooster, Ichneumon
- Deity.birth_place
- Kos or Hyperborea
- Deity.consort
- Zeus
- Deity.parents
- Coeus and Phoebe
- Deity.siblings
- Asteria
- Deity.offspring
Article
28 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Origins
- Family and attributes
- Mythology
- Birth of Artemis and Apollo
- Earlier accounts
- Later accounts
- Chthonic assailants
- Involvement in wars
- Favour myths
- Wrath myths
- Other works
- Worship
- Lycian Letoon and wider Asia Minor
- Mainland Greece
- Aegean Islands
- Epithets
- Art
- Legacy
- Gallery
- Genealogy
- See also
- Footnotes
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Primary Sources
- Secondary Sources
- External links
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Leto (; ) is a childhood goddess, the daughter of the Titans Coeus and Phoebe, the sister of Asteria, and the mother of Apollo and Artemis.
In the Olympian scheme, the king of gods Zeus is the father of her twins, Apollo and Artemis, whom Leto conceived after her hidden beauty accidentally caught the eye of Zeus. During her pregnancy, Leto sought for a place where she could give birth to Apollo and Artemis, since Hera, the wife of Zeus, in her jealousy, ordered all lands to shun her and deny her shelter. Hera is also the one to have sent the monstrous serpent Python and the giant Tityos against Leto to pursue and harm her. Leto eventually found an island, Delos, that was not joined to the mainland or attached to the ocean floor, therefore it was not considered land or island and she could give birth. In some stories, Hera further tormented Leto by delaying her labour, leaving Leto in agony for days before she could deliver the twins, who proceed to slay her assailants.