Page "Apollo" Paragraph 37

Some common epithets of Apollo as a healer are " paion " ( παιών: touching ), " epikourios " ( επικουρώ: help ), " oulios " ( ουλή: cured wound ), and " loimios " ( λοiμός: plague ).

In classical times, his strong function in popular religion was to keep away evil, and was therefore called " apotropaios " ( αποτρέπω: to divert ) and " alexikakos " ( αλέξω-κακό: defend, throw away the evil ).

In later writers, the word, usually spelled " Paean ", becomes a mere epithet of Apollo in his capacity as a god of healing.