Leto (mythology)

Leto is Titan what became a goddess after her marriage to Zeus. She is known as the goddess of modesty, motherhood, kindness, fertility, meekness, caring and protection. She is described as a being who is mild and gentle.

She is one of the many lovers of Zeus. Leto is the mother of the twin deities Artemis and Apollo. Like her son Apollo Leto has no roman equivalent and is known as Latona instead of Leto.

Biography
Born on the island of Kos Leto was the daughter of Coeus and Phoebe not much is known about Leto before and after the war between the Titans and the Olympians. However after the war Leto became the wife of Zeus and given the title of goddess through their marriage.

Hera the wife of Zeus hated Leto as much as she hated all of women that Zeus loved. When Hera learned that Leto was pregnant she placed a curse on the female Titan that prevented her from giving birth on land. Hera then sent the scared earth serpent know as Phthon one of the many children of Gaia to kill Leto and the children before their birth.

Leto felled Olympus and traveled the world looking for a place to give birth and protection from Hera and the Python. Leto came across a newly formed island know as Delos. An island created by her sister Asteria who refused to marry Zeus to escape his lust. Poseidon god of the sea looked after the island and helped Asteria so when Leto came to Delos Poseidon took pity on her and let her stay on the island.

Angered at what Poseidon Hera decided to kidnap Eilethyia the goddess of childbirth to keep her from helping with birth. The rest of the gods seeing the pain that Leto was going through asked for for Hera to allow Eilethyia to help Leto. Eventually Hera showed some kindness towards Leto but still had hate for her. Eventually Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollo though Hera showed some pity for Leto she would still send the earth dragon Python to kill Leto and her new born babies.

Not long after their birth Apollo decided to go hunt down the the monster know as Phthon to protect his mother. Apollo was successful although because of Python being a child of Gaia and a guardian of the earth Zeus told Apollo he had to be punished. Zeus told Apollo to create the Pythian Games to honor the earth serpent. Apollo agreed so the humans of Delphi honored Apollo for helping them kill the serpent but also honored the dragon for being a scared guardian of the earth know as Gaia.

When Zeus talked about punishing Apollo Leto didn't agree that he should be punished and believed that both Apollo and the Python should be honored. Over the years Leto wasn't mentioned in the myths and stories as much as the other gods.

As her children grew up around the gods Hera showed the same hate for Leto's children as much as she did for Leto herself. But Hera has show more hate to Leto and her daughter Artemis the most. Leto was the most gentle out of the gods and never showed any anger towards Hera no matter what she did. After the Python failed to kill Leto as Artemis and Apollo got older Hera decided to send a giant after Leto.

The giant that Hera sent was named Tityos son Elara and Zeus. Leto was attacked by the giant on her way to Delphi to visit her son Apollo who was now ruler of Delphi. Artemis was visiting Apollo in Delphi at the time when thir mother was attacked. Both of the children faced the giant to protect their mother. After Apollo and Artemis defeated the giant Zeus throw a lightning bolt at the ground and sent Tityos to tartarus he gave the giant the same punishment as Prometheus.