Arrow of Apollo

The Arrow of Apollo is an ancient and revered artifact originating from the mythical planet Kobol, the ancestral home of humanity. It was taken to Gemenon by human refugees from the Twelve Tribes and eventually came to reside in the Delphi Museum on Caprica. The Arrow is a symbol of the deity Apollo, one of the Lords of Kobol.

Its significance lies in its purported ability to unlock the secrets of the Tomb of Athena, a legendary location described in the Scrolls of Pythia. According to prophecy, the Arrow, when brought to the Tomb, would reveal the path to the fabled Thirteenth Colony, Earth.

During the exodus of the human fleet after the Cylon attack, President Laura Roslin, guided by her faith and visions, ordered Lieutenant Kara Thrace (Starbuck) to retrieve the Arrow from Cylon-occupied Caprica. This mission was undertaken against Commander William Adama's orders, highlighting the growing division between military and civilian leadership. Upon its retrieval and subsequent use on Kobol, the Arrow helped to reveal a celestial map within the Tomb of Athena, which depicted the constellations of the Twelve Colonies as seen from Earth, providing the first concrete direction towards humanity's long-lost homeworld. The Arrow thus served as a crucial link between ancient prophecy and the desperate search for a new home.