The earliest examples of life-sized statues of Apollo, may be two figures from the Ionic sanctuary on the island of Delos.

Excavated sites include Saliagos and Kephala ( on Keos ) with signs of copper-working, Each of the small Cycladic islands could support no more than a few thousand people, though Late Cycladic boat models show that fifty oarsmen could be assembled from the scattered communities ( Rutter ), and when the highly organized palace-culture of Crete arose, the islands faded into insignificance, with the exception of Delos, which retained its archaic reputation as a sanctuary throughout antiquity and until the emergence of Christianity.

The funds were partly drawn from the treasury of the Delian League, which was moved from the Panhellenic sanctuary at Delos to the Acropolis in 454 BC.

Ceos, where Bacchylides was born and raised, had long had a history of poetical and musical culture, especially in its association with Delos, the focal point of the Cyclades and the principal sanctuary of the Ionian race, where the people of Ceos annually sent choirs to celebrate festivals of Apollo.

Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium before Olympian Greek mythology made it the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.

When the highly organized palace-culture of Crete arose, the islands faded into insignificance, with the exception of Delos, which retained its archaic reputation as a sanctuary through the period of Classical Greek civilization ( see Delian League ).

The earliest extant examples may be the two life-sized marble figures from the Ionic sanctuary on the island of Delos dating from the second or third quarter of the seventh century.

In association with his birthplace, Mount Cynthus on the island of Delos, Apollo was called Cynthius ( ; Κύνθιος, Kunthios, literally " Cynthian "), Cynthogenes ( ; Κύνθογενης, Kunthogenēs, literally " born of Cynthus "), and Delius ( ; Δήλιος, Delios, literally " Delian ").

* In Delos, there was an oracle to the Delian Apollo, during summer.

* At Patara, in Lycia, there was a seasonal winter oracle of Apollo, said to have been the place where the god went from Delos.

In her wanderings, Leto found the newly created floating island of Delos, which was neither mainland nor a real island.

Mythographers agree that Artemis was born first and then assisted with the birth of Apollo, or that Artemis was born one day before Apollo, on the island of Ortygia and that she helped Leto cross the sea to Delos the next day to give birth to Apollo.

The palm tree was also sacred to Apollo because he had been born under one in Delos.

With the withdrawal of these states, a congress was called on the holy island of Delos to institute a new alliance to continue the fight against the Persians ; hence the modern designation " Delian League ".

This was the Athenians ' main ( public ) reason for moving the treasury of the League from Delos to Athens, further consolidating their control over the League.

According to mythology, Diana was born with her twin brother Apollo on the island of Delos, daughter of Jupiter and Latona.

Poseidon gave pity to Leto and guided her to the floating island of Delos, which was neither mainland nor a real island and Leto was able to give birth to her children on the island.

As a gesture of gratitude, Delos was secured with four pillars.

Another variation states that Artemis was born one day before Apollo, on the island of Ortygia and that she helped Leto cross the sea to Delos the next day to give birth to Apollo.

There was, of course, a further Letoon at Delos.

" Latona for her intrigue with Zeus was hunted by Hera over the whole earth, till she came to Delos and brought forth first Artemis, by the help of whose midwifery she afterwards gave birth to Apollo.

Wolves are not easily delivered of their young, only after twelve days and twelve nights, for the people of Delos maintain that this was the length of time that it took Leto to travel from the Hyperboreoi to Delos.

Most accounts agree that she found the barren floating island of Delos, still bearing its archaic name of Asterios, which was neither mainland nor a real island, and gave birth there, promising the island wealth from the worshippers who would flock to the obscure birthplace of the splendid god who was to come.

As a gesture of gratitude, Delos was secured with four pillars and later became sacred to Apollo.

Another version, in the Homeric Hymn to Delian Apollo and in an Orphic hymn, states that Artemis was born before Apollo, on the island of Ortygia, and that she helped Leto cross the sea to Delos the next day to give birth there to Apollo.

In Delos and Athens she was worshipped primarily as an adjunct to her children.

She was worshipped primarily by the women of Delos, who set out food offerings in small boats.

Temple of the Delians at Delos, dedicated to Apollo ( 478 BC ).

The Temple of the Delians is a “ peripteral ” Doric order temple, the largest of three dedicated to Apollo on the island of Delos.

Because of the time constraints surrounding the station's construction, the University hired a dedicated co-op student, Alan Delos Santos, to work on the station.

But the island of Delos ( or Ortygia in the Homeric Hymn to Artemis ) disobeyed Hera, and Leto gave birth there.

The creation of this temple is significant as Delos is particularly known as the birthplace of the Greek gods Artemis and Apollo who had temples of their own on the island long before the temple to Isis was built.

( Although there seems to be some confusion of Artemis ' birthplace being either Delos or the island of Ortygia.

According to legend, when Leto was about to give birth to Apollo and Artemis, she fled writhing in pain to Delos.

During the festival of Artemis at Delos, Acontius saw Cydippe, a well-born Athenian maiden of whom he was enamoured, sitting in the temple of the goddess.

From the Temple of Artemis at Delos.

| 15992 Cynthia || || Cynthia Hug, the discoverer's wife ; Cynthia is also an alternate name for the Moon goddess Artemis ( from her birthplace, Mount Cynthus on Delos ), and this minor planet was imaged many times with the Moon above the horizon

Thus, the Athenians sent a religious mission to the island of Delos ( one of Apollo's most sacred sanctuaries ) on the Athenian state galley — the ship itself — to pay their fealty to the god.

The recessed “ necking ” at the top of the shafts and the wide cushionlike echinus are slightly self-conscious archaicizing features, for Delos is Apollo's ancient birthplace.

For their part the Hyperboreans sent mysterious gifts, packed in straw, which came first to Dodona and then were passed from tribe to tribe until they came to Apollo's temple on Delos ( Pausanias ).

Of the many islands of the Aegean, the one which bards most in fealty owe to Apollo, leader of the inspiring Muses, is Delos, the sacred island that was Apollo's birthplace.

Many hymns, nomes ( simple songs to accompany the circular dance of the chorus ), and oracles, attributed to Olen, were preserved in Delos, revered as Apollo's birthplace.