The Dark Prophecy

Though the last battle with Commodus is yet to be fought, this section forms the emotional climax of the narrative because of Meg and Apollo’s experience inside the Cave of Trophonius. In this section, Apollo and Meg dive into the cave of horrors and experience their inner demons. The fact that they make their way back from the journey is a pivotal moment in their character arcs; symbolically, they undergo a trial by fire and emerge as changed people at the other end. Strikingly, Commodus doesn’t make the journey to seek the prophecy since he doesn’t want to risk anything. Apollo and Meg take the risk, making them heroes in the classic sense.

The Oracle of Trophonius is considered the most dangerous because it plays mind games with the petitioner. Through this, the text indicates that the greatest dangers are physical and psychological trauma and wounds. Fittingly, the imagery around the cave reflects these dangers. Entering the cave itself involves a jump into a chasm, and the cave is gloomy and eerie. Drinking from the spring waters leaves Apollo giddy and disoriented. Unlike the trees of Dodona, which, though loud, were not really menacing, Trophonius appears cruel and punishing.

The fact that Meg jumps into the cave without drinking from the waters foreshadows her experience will be far worse than that of Apollo. It also showcases that she tends to confuse recklessness with bravery. Meg’s decision to sing in the cave shows her resourcefulness and desire to save Apollo. Though Meg is sometimes portrayed as taciturn, grubby, and stubborn, her brave actions show why she is such a complex, multilayered character. Her visions in the cave serve as a narrative device to flesh out her backstory and highlight the depth of her trauma. In the past, Apollo has been puzzled by Meg’s dependence on Nero, despite his cruelty to her. Meg’s visions show how trauma can make an abused child dependent on their oppressor. In the vision of her father’s death, Meg pleads for someone to help her, but “the police paid her no attention. The crowd acted as if she didn’t exist. Only Nero was there for her. At last, she turned to him, buried her face in his suit vest, and sobbed uncontrollably” (326). As “the Beast,” Nero killed her father, but she turns to him as she has no one else.

Music as a cathartic force is a prominent motif in the book and the entire series. It has the power to heal people and even animals. In The Hidden Oracle, Apollo sang to lull killer ants. Here, Meg sings to keep the water snakes in thrall. When Meg is in mortal peril after her visions, Apollo sings to her as a cure, noting that “before antibiotics, before aspirin, before even sterile bandages, we had songs. I was the god of both music and healing for good reason. One should never underestimate the healing power of music” (332). Music does not need to be faultless to work, as evinced by Meg’s “uneven voice” (322), which fascinates the vipers. Meg’s song is powerful because it is filled with truth and feeling. Apollo notes that his singing too had worked with the ants because he was “pouring out his sadness, baring my heart” (323). If music represents all art forms and creative expression, the text points out that the best art is honest rather than technically perfect. There is a hidden lesson for Apollo here. As the most perfect and accomplished god, he highly values aesthetics and form. His human existence shows him that perfection is overrated.

Apollo and Meg’s descent into “Primordial Chaos” packs in complex themes and many references to mythology. When Apollo swallows Meg’s “madness” to lighten her burden, their minds briefly merge, which can be considered a metaphor for Apollo gaining human empathy and compassion. He is literally forced to put himself into Meg’s mind and experience her worst fears. Tellingly, he recounts her memories in the first person, referring to Meg as “I” rather than “she.” Their commingled minds travel to chaos, the void state in which the universe existed before creation. Though Greek mythology doesn’t necessarily link the Three Fates with chaos, Riordan imagines the Fates weaving destiny from that substance. This is a good example of how the author adapts and reinvents mythological material. Near the miasma of chaos, Apollo glimpses Styx, the River of Death beckoning him. Chaos can sometimes refer to the underworld, so this association makes sense. Both Apollo and Meg come dangerously close to accepting the release of death Styx offers but are saved by their empathy for each other. Both know that in their commingled mental state, the death of one will ensure the death of the other. Hence, they refuse to submit to the mental pain and emerge out of the abyss of the prophecy, which shows the power of love and sacrifice.

Apollo’s meeting with Trophonius is also significant because it highlights the text’s theme of the danger of living in the past. Trophonius is understandably bitter toward Apollo but has also chosen to redirect his malice toward others. He tells Apollo: “I dwell in darkness now because I am your son. […] All my pain and madness…Why should I not share it with those who seek my help?” (328). Trophonius does not even spare children like Georgina and Meg from torment. When Meg begins to froth at the mouth, he says, “This is the most interesting part” (335). Having to kill his brother Agamethus left Trophonius with trauma, but his cruelty is still inexcusable. Significantly, like Commodus, Trophonius is associated with darkness, an example of which is the black bees he sets upon Meg and Apollo. Agamethus also has suffered like Trophonius but has chosen to be a helpful spirit to those in the Waystation. He has found purpose in his present despite the trauma of the past.