Editing Apollo (section)

==== Other variations ====
Aside from those mentioned above, more variations on the story of Apollo's birth include:

Aelian states that it took Leto twelve days and twelve nights to travel from Hyperborea to Delos.<ref>Aelian, ''Characteristics of Animals 4. 4''</ref> Leto changed herself into a she-wolf before giving birth. This is given as the reason why Homer describes Apollo as the "wolf-born god".<ref>Aelian, ''Characteristics of Animals 10. 26''</ref><ref>Homer, ''Iliad''</ref>

Libanius wrote that neither land nor visible islands would receive Leto, but by the will of Zeus Delos then became visible, and thus received Leto and the children.<ref>Libanius, ''Progymnasmata 2.25''</ref>

According to Strabo, the [[Curetes (tribe)|Curetes]] helped Leto by creating loud noises with their weapons and thus frightening Hera, they concealed Leto's childbirth.<ref>Strabo, ''Geography 14. 1. 20''</ref>

Theognis wrote that the island was filled with ambrosial fragrance when Apollo was born, and the Earth laughed with joy.<ref>Theognis, ''Fragment 1. 5''</ref>

In some versions, [[Artemis]] was born first and subsequently assisted with the birth of Apollo.<ref>Servius, ''Commentary on Virgil's Aeneid 3.7''</ref><ref>Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.21</ref>

While in some accounts Apollo's birth itself fixed the floating Delos to the earth, there are accounts of Apollo securing Delos to the bottom of the ocean a little while later.<ref>Virgil, ''Aeneid'', [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0052%3Abook%3D3%3Acard%3D69 3.80]</ref><ref>Nonnus, ''Dionysiaca''</ref> 
This island became sacred to Apollo and was one of the major cult centres of the god.
Apollo was born on the seventh day ({{lang|grc|ἑβδομαγενής}}, ''hebdomagenes'')<ref>{{LSJ|e(bdomagenh/s|ἑβδομαγενής|shortref}}.</ref> of the month [[Attic calendar#Festival calendar (lunisolar)|Thargelion]]—according to Delian tradition—or of the month [[Hellenic calendars#Delphic|Bysios]]—according to Delphian tradition. The seventh and twentieth, the days of the new and full moon, were ever afterwards held sacred to him.{{sfn|Freese|1911|p=184}}