Leto is a Titan who became a goddess after her marriage to Zeus. She is known as the goddess of modesty, motherhood, kindness, childbirth, 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 also known as Latona instead of Leto. Latona is a name for Leto in both Greek and Roman mythology, which are mainly one mythology, and that is Greek mythology.
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 known as Python, one of the many children of Gaia, to kill Leto and the children before their birth.
Leto fled 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 known as Delos. This island was 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 did, 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 newborn babies.
Not long after their birth Apollo decided to go hunt down the the monster known as Python 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 sacred guardian of the earth (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 she did for Leto herself. But Hera has shown 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 of Elara and Zeus. Leto was raped 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 their mother was raped. Apollo faced the giant to protect his mother. After Apollo defeated the giant, Zeus threw a lightning bolt at the ground and sent Tityos to Tartarus. He gave the giant the same punishment as Prometheus.
Being more humble, Leto doesn't crave as much attention or worship as the other gods. Instead she prefers to do small kind acts like helping Zeus, Artemis and Apollo to place Callisto in the night sky as a constellation, convincing Zeus not to send Apollo to Tartarus with Artemis, helping Artemis to get Zeus to revive Apollo's son Asclepius and make him a a god, offering support to Troy soldiers and healing them during the Trojan war. She also helped Artemis turn Orion into a constellation because Poseidon helped Leto give birth to Artemis, thus Artemis, even though she hated and had to kill Orion for his evil goals of killing innocent animals, placed him in the night sky because he was Poseidon's son.
Although Hera, the queen of the gods, was the only who could make Zeus, the king of the gods do what she wanted, those acts had normally been done out of rage. But Leto always used her sweet kindness to talk Zeus into helping someone, also into showing mercy and pity for others. Another difference between Hera and Leto was that Zeus allowed Hera to do whatever she wanted and told others who wished for her to pay for her actions that he has no control over her.
Another difference between Hera and Leto is how Hera became enraged over Zeus's affairs with other women. But much like Zeus and the other deities, Hera had affairs as well and wasn't exactly loyal to Zeus either. Leto, however, never got upset with things Zeus has done and his affairs never bothered her.
Unlike the other gods and goddesses living on Olympus, Leto had no affairs with anyone once she married Zeus. Leto was more loyal than all the other Greek gods and goddesses' spouses combined. Also unlike the other Greek deities, Leto didn't seek control or power like Hera and the other deities. Leto preferred to keep her head down, hardly ever speaking up or bringing attention to herself.
Personality[]
Leto is more forgiving than most of the other deities, never getting upset at Hera, Python, or the giants of Tityos for all the things they have done to her. Leto is a goddess who always takes the high road, she always turns the other cheek, and lets everything roll off her back. Sh e is always meek and speaking with a soft speaking voice and is extremely shy. Leto always remains calm and is sweet and friendly to everyone she meets. She is a peace lover and peace maker but she is also a goddess who puts the safety of others before her own.
Leto is not afraid take the punishments meant for someone else if it means no harm comes to the other being. Even if the other being deserves what is about to happen to them, Leto will still protect them. She doesn't care what others say or think of her or how they treat her. Leto would walk a thousand miles out of her way to stay out of a fight.
Leto doesn't give up others around her even the rest of the deities give up on someone. Leto is one of the few deities who doesn't force her will on to others like the rest of the gods and goddesses who demand for mortals to obey them. Leto always made sure to avoid the drama between the other deities because she wanted no part of it. Leto believes no one has the business to tell others what to do.
While most of the gods and goddesses relied heavily on Olympus and huge cities as support for their rule and to keep power and control, Leto had no need for Olympus or cities and could survive easily without those things. She has also witnessed how most of the Greek deities give into greed and easily get jealous. Despite the fact she is a Titan and goddesses Leto prefers to be thought of and viewed as a common woman. She does not display her goddesshood with pride like most of the other deities. Let o also believes that the gods and goddesses shouldn't be quick to pass judgement or throw stones at others when they are guilty of the same deeds committed by others.
Leto is okay with others loving her or hating her. She also knows that anyone her don't know her as well as they think. Leto is a woman who can be trusted and who will have your back when you need her as she has been for her husband Zeus and for the other Olympians.
Those who don't like what Leto has to say when finally speaks up and sheds her meekness she lets others know hey I'm just saying. Because she is meek, quiet and shy, there are people and deities who make the mistake of thinking she is weak. Because of her kindness, friendliness, sweetness, pacifism, generosity and humility, sometimes others make the mistake thinking that she is too soft.
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