Perhaps nowhere is Apollo's relevance as poignant as his association with prognostication. A whole cult devoted to Apollo centered on the god's ability to foresee the future and to communicate his findings to mortals. Only Zeus is depicted as being as omniscient as Apollo (Morford & Lenardon p. 128). Apollo's "brightness" takes on a new meaning in his role as seer because he sheds light on the future and also helps illuminate the human experience. His "brightness" indicates good visual sight as well as foresight. Being a psychic seer mirrors having solid long-distance vision, and Apollo was also an archer, dubbed the "far-shooter" by Homer (Morford & Lenardon p. 121).
Apollo's reputation as the god of foresight reached ancient Persia too. Morford & Lenardon refer to the story of Croesus the Persian who heard of the Oracle at Delphi and sought Apollo's advice in spite of the geographic and cultural barriers. In some ways, Apollo became a sort of envoy for Greek culture. As Apollo made his way into the Roman pantheon, the god also assumed various other roles including that of lover. He "deceived goddesses and mortal women" just as the other gods did (Morford & Lenardon p. 166).
Morford & Lenardon state, "one can understand the simple and sincere belief in Apollo and Delphi possible in the 6th century BC. There is a fascinating interplay between the inevitability of fate or
133). Indeed, Apollo did straddle the two modes of thinking about human destiny. On the one hand, fate was inevitability and human beings need to resign themselves to it lest they upset a delicate cosmic balance. This view upholds the supremacy of the gods and portrays them much like Homer did: as egotistical meddlers in human affairs. Yet Homer also indicated the changing role of the gods in human affairs when he wrote his odes. The gods became less cruel and more inspiriting, especially Apollo.
On the other hand, human beings were expected to control their own destinies. Whether represented by a charioteer or an archer, human beings were to harness the forces of nature and set their sights on seemingly impossible targets. The Oracle of Apollo at Delphi shows that the Greeks evolved a relationship with the gods that was interactive. Fate was reality, and human beings could make with it what they wanted. The gods became less powerful as the works of
human society became more impressive. The Greeks and later the Romans exhibited remarkable ambition both to expand their
cultures and also to embolden them. Apollo is an emblem of the
ancient world, representing its heterogeneity and its adaptability.
Morford, Mark P.O. And Robert J. Lenardon. Classical Mythology. 8th ed. Oxford U.P.,…
