The name Apollo might have been derived from a Pre-Hellenic compound Apo-ollon, likely related to an archaic verb Apo-ell- and literally meaning
"he who elbows off",
and thus "the Dispelling One".
Indeed, he seems to have personified the power to dispel and ward off evil, which was related to his association with the darkness-dispelling power of the morning sun and the conceived power of reason and prophecy to dispel doubt and ignorance. In addition, Apollo's dispelling aspect made him associated with:
city walls and doorways, which served as bulwarks to guard against trespassers;
disembarkations and expatriations to colonies, which served to carry people away;
like his son Asclepius, healing, which dispelled disease and illness;
shepherds tending their flocks, who warded off pests and predators;
music and the arts, which dispelled discord and barbarism;
fit and skilled young men, with their highly important ability to dispel intruders and invading armies;
the ability of foresight into the future.
An explanation given by Plutarch in Moralia is that Apollon signified unity, since pollon meant "many", and the prefix a- was a negative. Thus, Apollon could be read as meaning "deprived of multitude". Apollo was consequently associated with the monad.
obviously the founding player in the all star category
