#Apollo regretting what Commodus became | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

citrusreadstoa · 1 year

Text

Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 19 (SPOILERS)

"You cannot commit murder. Any death you cause is the will of the gods and entirely beyond reproach." That's an... interesting take on things. I never thought of that before, but from a mortal's perspective, that might be the case. However, we are judging the PJO gods as people, and thus murder on their part is still murder.

"It's true I had laid waste to whole cities with my fiery arrows. I had inflicted countless plagues upon humanity." Yeah, I think individual murders are the least of your crimes and maybe these acts of mass destruction should be what you're repenting for instead. I guess the latter could be connected to the plague spirits and how some disease has to be let loose to keep them in check, but the "burning down whole cities" thing is still unnecessary. "Once Artemis and I slew a family of twelve because their mama said something bad about our mama." I know that myth. Queen Niobe. During a ceremony honoring Leto, she bragged that she shouldn't have to partake because she was superior, having seven sons and seven daughters (sometimes six of each, it varies). And then Artemis and Apollo killed all her children. And the dad either killed himself or was killed by Apollo. And then Niobe turned to stone. The end. This is vaguely linked to the seven girls and seven boys that were annually sent as sacrifices to the Minotaur. Anyway, this is still a tragedy and unbelievably petty, but still pales in comparison to all the other stuff Apollo and Artemis have done. Mostly Apollo, 'cause I haven't heard about Artemis causing too many natural disasters (though I'm pretty sure she sent a giant boar to trample a city once, don't quote me).

"None of that did I consider murder." You... you sure about that? Okay, the burning cities and plagues are just you carrying out your duties as the harbinger of natural disasters, but Niobe's family isn't murder? That was definitely murder.

"I was Narcissus, Caesar's trusted personal trainer." Eh? Same Narcissus as the reflection guy? I didn't know he was employed! So he must've been a trainer before he got cursed. If this is just another dude who just happens to be named Narcissus, I'm gonna sound real stupid... Nah, this is a valid question.

"We can take him" Oh no, so that's why what Meg said sent him spiraling.

"considering his mistress and prefect had poisoned his wine at lunch." Lmao is everyone around him just trying to kill him dead? Lemme guess: he grew paranoid when there wasn't any reason to be and then the violence from that paranoia became a self-fulfilling prophecy so people actually started trying to kill him because of how horrible he was and now the paranoia comes from actual danger.

Okay, I realized something last night: Commodus's character art kind of makes him look like the type of shady love interest you'd find in books/movies like 365 Days that, despite his violence and paranoia and lack of respect for boundaries, the leading lady will inevitably irrationally fall for, doesn't he? (This has nothing to do with the actual character; it's just what the character art reminds me of.)

"Not that he knew my true identity" Why doesn't Apollo visit him as himself?

"I'm done thinking about consequences!" He's done? Did he ever start thinking about the consequences to begin with?

"Then I closed my hands around his neck. 'I'm sorry.'" So what's it gonna be: drowning, strangulation, or snapped neck? How did Commodus get the chance to become a god if he died here? Are all the Triumvirate emperors escaped souls?

"You. Blessed. Me." Fuuuuuuuuck.

"I simply couldn't look at the surface of any pool without imagining Commodus's face, stung with betrayal, staring up at me." So, as a god, do you just keep accumulating regrets forever until you can't look at anything without remembering some horrible deed you did? 'Cause that sounds absolutely comical.

"WE CANNOT REMAIN." We cannot remain at the Waystation? It's not safe?

"his carotid pulse" CAROTID (n.): each of the two main arteries that carry blood to the head and neck / (adj.): relating to or denoting the two main arteries which carry blood to the head and neck, and their two main branches

"Was there anyone I hadn't betrayed and disappointed? Any relationship I hadn't destroyed?" No. Sorry, did that come out harsh? I'm sure there's at least, like, one singular-- no, probably not.

"I was Al's . . . liaison to the African American bootleggers." Again, how old was she when she joined the Hunters?

"I have no idea what that means." For a god of poetry, Apollo sure does let a lot of metaphors go over his head. I wonder if losing his powers somehow affected his reading/listening comprehension.

5 notes · View notes

my-name-is-apollo · 5 years

Text

Okay! I finished reading the tyrants tomb and over all! I liked it a lot! Of course there are inconsistencies, some mistakes on Rick's side, and of course things that I didn't like because I'm a mythology fan, but whatever, the story kept me going and I finished the whole book in a day (which I usually don't). So! Here are my thoughts, in no particular order:

- My queen Reyna was SLAYING! Literally y'all! I've never loved her more!

- All ships please step aside, the only true ship we need is Apollo x Arrow of Dodona

- seriously though can we appreciate how encouraging the arrow was?

- ugh Ugly Sobbing at Jason's funeral! UGH!!

- again. JAASOOOONNNN!!! 😭😭😭😭😭

- Oh god Apollo go ahead and adopt Frank already!

- When Frank said he can't imagine a world without Apollo in it! My heart made a somersault and exploded into dust!

- I mean lets be honest, literally all the Apollo Frank interactions were good & wholesome

- LAVINIA! I love her! aksjekwkw! Lesbian! Yes!

- Meg and Apollo! MEG AND APOLLO! Meg saying she doesn't wanna lose Apollo too! Apollo saying she was like his own lil sister! 😭 I can't! So pure!

- When Apollo said "Come here...please" had Meg fell into his arms 😍😭💕💞💖💓💕💓

- OH ARTEMIS FINALLY FUCKIN CAME! But why you leave arty, not fair :/

- Apollo saying his favorite physician is Asclepius! You can really feel the love and pride he has for his son!

- Grandpa Apollo 😂

- Chiron, I want your playlist rn-

- I was irritated with Venus. Is it just me or the way she humiliated Apollo in front of everyone even though he'd done nothing was suuuper annoying? (I mean maybe she meant good, but still, ugh)

- Why DID DAKOTA DIE??? 😭 he was my favorite minor character!!

- I was sad to see Peaches weak! He gets better, hopefully!

- I'm really glad Apollo said that even as a god he didn't like issuing prophecies he didn't even want to hear for the sake humans. It really gives insight on why Apollo neglected oracles in the first place. Boi was just! so! tired!

- yo Apollo's monologue about his love life had me fucked up, I was so sad when he asked himself if he had ever kept his loved ones safe.

- coming to know about Apollo's past problematic actions had me like, yeeeah boooiii, here we goooo

- Oooohhh Apollo being called out for what he did to Koronis 👀 that was some good shit. But I hope that, while remembering what a dick Apollo had been to her, the fandom will also remember that Artemis was also fucked up in this case.

- (also I don't think Apollo knew Koronis was pregnant? still, definitely shouldn't have gone that far)

- I didn't like how Apollo called it a "curse" on the sibyl. It wasn't. She asked for immortality and he gave her. When she refused him, Apollo didn't curse her, he just pointed out how she'd grew old as usual like a human, and hence suffer from old age. (But yeah his well intentioned gift itself became a curse to her so-)

- Idk why Harpocrates was ever connected to Apollo, it made no much sense from mythological point, but whatever.

- Apollo being a bully seemed odd to me but then I remembered the gods bullied each other all the time (Apollo even mentioned that they were ready to kill each other)

- Harpocrates x sibyl though?? Idk I laughed way too hard but the way they ended was really beautiful

- WHEN REYNA LAUGHED! Omg I was experiencing second hand embarrassment for Lester but gosh I'm so glad it turned out the way it did. I really liked that scene!

- I don't know how to feel about Reyna joining the hunters, but I'm not complaining.

- I LITERALLY CRIED WHEN I FOUND OUT FRANK IN FACT ALIVE AKSJEKSJJSSJ my baby boy! He is alright after all!

- The whole healing Reyna's heart kinda fell flat to me... I mean it was good, but I guess I had higher expectations (not ApolloxReyna, ofc, but like,,,,something else,,,idk what)

- Apollo still thirsting over Commodus *sigh* boy get your head back 😂

- Ella and Tyson are so precious please treasure them y'all

- omg Apollo fuckin KILLED Commodus with his voice!!!! Omfg-

- APOLLO GOT HIS BOW BACK!

- Terminus adopted Julia!!!

- DON! 😭 why???!!!

- I totally agree with Apollo on Jason's death being so fuckin unfair! 😭 Especially when Leo and Frank could escape from theirs!!

- Hazel was SO BADASS I can't even-

- Thalia was so mature in handling the situation. Lmao Apollo haters wanted her to tear him down but guess what losers? she's not a kid like y'all

- hey how the fuck was Lester even awake till the end? With that zombie wound, the car crash, his stamina gone, and burnt wounds? Not to mention the times he straight up stumbled into a tree or fell down.

- it's sooooo strange that Apollo doesn't have Roman kids. On the whole, it seems like Apollo doesn't do well in Roman pantheon, even his sister is distant from him there. Since he is the same in Greek and Roman form, I think he actually witnessed all the time how much the gods change, even the ones close to him (Artemis). It's like, he is constant while everyone else is changing. That's kinda sad. I wonder if the Roman side of his family gives him a harder time?

- I know I was big on "no romance for mc in this series" but you know, I'd like to see Apollo being happy in love for once. At least at the end of series. Ugh. Idk Rick, bring Hyacinthus back to life or give us Litpollo or smth please. (I'm p sure I'll change my mind about this later lmao)

________

'kay, from here I'll be speaking outside the series, so if you don't wanna read a mythology nerd ranting about how badly Rick Riordan needs to have a mythology lesson on Apollo, skip this part! (I completely acknowledge RR's right to interpret the gods as he wants, but I'm still bitter™)

- I really dislike the way Rick writes Apollo! He's the god of knowledge ffs! He'd know a lot of things! He is Lord of wolves! He should know the language of wolves! Like it's so fuckin ridiculous when he says I'm the god of prophecy doesn't mean I understand all prophecies. Though you can give the excuse of his limited mortal memory, it still seems like Apollo's smarter side is being downplayed a lot by RR.

- He's also one of the bravest gods, so when Rick writes him being scared / having memories when he was scared even as a god is 😒

- The whole "oh I never regretted this until now", "I never thought of this until now" seems very exaggerated and honestly, very fake. Apollo has lived for so many years. He has been human before. He spends a lot of time on earth to not know certain things he didn't know in this book (and series). He is one the friendlier gods, you'll find so many cases where he helps mortals in need. He is the protector of children and youth too! So like this entire "I came 10 years after a mortal prayed to me", "I didn't think demigod lives actually valued", "I didn't know humans felt like this" sounded like F grade bullshit to me. It is gods like Apollo, Hermes and Dionysus who would actually know mortals better than any other gods.

- just basically the trend of Rick Riordan writing off gods as ignorant being who never cared for anyone irks me a lot.

#the tyrants tomb #tyrants tomb #the tyrants tomb spoilers #tyrants tomb spoilers #toa spoilers #trials of apollo spoilers #meg mccaffrey #lester papadopoulos #jason grace #frank zhang #hazel levesque #reyna #apollo #pjo #toa #hoo #thalia grace

421 notes · View notes