Mythology Monday: Apollon and Branchos

Published on Jan 30, 2020

Youth playing the flute and riding a dolphin on a 360–340 BCE red-figure stamnos from Etruria, Italy

This week's #FolkloreThursday theme is myths from around the world. So I'm telling you one of the more obscure stories from Greek mythology: the story of Apollon and Branchos.
As always, there are different versions by different authors. I'm using mainly the accounts of Conon and Kallimachos.

Apollon and Branchos

Branchos was a pretty shepherd boy from Miletos. He was herding sheep in the woods, as shepherds do, when he chanced upon Apollon. The god had arrived from the island of Delos, one of his major cult centres, riding on the back of a dolphin all the way to Miletos. But Branchos didn't know that. He only knew that Apollon is hot and he wanted to kiss him.

So he followed his passion and kissed Apollon and lucky for him Apollon embraced him in mutual desire. What he didn't expect, was that Apollon's kiss would give him prophetic powers. After their tryst the god gifted him a garland and a wand of laurel.

"You are a shepherd no more, Branchos," Apollon said, "You will speak my prophecies and devote yourself to me."

"B-b-but I'm just a simple shepherd boy," Branchos stuttered, "This is too great an honour! Too great a responsibility!"

Apollon smiled.

"Your family hails from my beloved Delphi, seat of the greatest oracle in the world. You will do fine."

Branchos' heart leapt and he planted the laurel at the place where he had kissed Apollon and it was at this place he built a shrine to Apollon and established the cult and oracle of the god.

Apollon instructed Branchos in how to perfect the art of prophecy he had received and he looked after the sheep while Branchos practiced and honed this new craft.

Many years later, Apollon became angry at the Milesians and sent a plague. Branchos appeased his divine lover and received the power to cure the plague. He also used branches from the sacred laurel tree he had planted to heal people coming to the sanctuary of Apollon.

The oracles given by Branchos were second in fame and prestige only to the Oracle of Delphi and Branchos should go on to father an influential clan of prophets, the Branchides who continued their father's oracle known as the Oracle of Didyma.

Branchos suddenly disappeared, possibly because he was taken away by Apollon and brought to Elysion, the Island of the Blessed. An altar was built in his honour marking the place where he had kissed Apollon.

Cult statue of Apollon on a coin from Miletos, holding a bow in his left hand

Cult

The people of Miletos built temples dedicated to Branchos and Apollon and named them Philesia, after the kiss of Branchos. There, Apollon was worshipped under the name Apollon Philesios. Philesios means "the loving", "the kissing" from Greek philein, "to love", "to kiss". Apollon was also called Apollon Philios, Apollon the lover or Apollon the boyfriend, and Apollon Branchios, Apollon of Branchos.

There were also temples dedicated to Branchos alone called Branchiadon.

Ancient writers liken the relationship of Apollon and Branchos to that of Apollon and Hyakinthos. But it doesn't end in tragedy which is why I love this myth so much. Apollon has experienced a lot of rejection and pain in his love life and he deserves some happy relationships too. Apollon really went out of his way to help Branchos, even tending his flocks while he practiced the art of prophecy and giving him the means to avert the plague. He was a good lover and friend to Branchos. It's such a sweet love story from Greek mythology.

In Kallimachos' version of their first meeting, Apollon meant to seduce Branchos and offered his help with the milking of the goats but got so distracted by the sexy shepherd boy that he ended up milking a billy goat. In that version, Apollon promised safety and good graze for the flocks if Branchos decides to become his eromenos, similar to how he promised a good education to Hyakinthos.

You can read an erotic retelling of Apollon and Branchos' story here. It's a WIP draft, so it's accessible to Hot Heroes / Heroines and up.