Revelation 12 and the Myth of Apollo

For John’s audience, the most familiar example of the combat myth alluded to in Revelation 12 would have been the Greek story about the birth of Apollo and his defeat of Python the dragon.

In the story, Apollo’s mother, the goddess Leto, becomes pregnant by Zeus. Python—knowing that Zeus and Leto’s child is destined to kill him—seeks to kill the child first and pursues Leto in order to consume Apollo at his birth. Leto flees and, with the help of the sea god Poseidon (who hides her on a remote island), gives birth to Apollo. Apollo later kills Python on Mount Parnassus.

John’s account of the woman, child, and dragon in Revelation 12 seems to parallel, and evoke imagery from, this myth. He employs imagery that would have been familiar to his audience to juxtapose the story of Christ and the people of God with the pagan combat myth, showing that his message is the authentic story. John’s account then continues the theme of spiritual conflict between God’s people and the world.

Domitian—the Roman emperor at the time John wrote Revelation—considered himself to be Apollo incarnate. Thus, the stylization of John’s vision against the Apollo combat myth serves as a counterclaim to the emperor’s prerogatives. It also confirms the superiority of the glorified Christ to all pagan rulers. John’s vision, then, serves as a rebuke against the imperial religion.

Matthew M. Whitehead