When the powerful god Zeus sends his son Apollo to earth as a human teenager complete with acne and awkwardness, the act is supposed to be a punishment or a curse. However, as the Trials of Apollo series progresses, Apollo begins to consider that, unknown to Zeus, his punishment may have a silver lining. The Tower of Nero, the final book of the series, pushes this theme further by suggesting that the best gods are those who know what it is to be human. Being human is its own kind of divine power, and the limits of mortality can signify freedom and power.

When Apollo meets Sally Jackson after a gap of six months, she comments that the god seems more human. Apollo tells the reader that he would have considered the word human “a terrible insult” (45) not too long ago. Now the word human reminds him of his slain friend Jason Grace’s admonition: “Remember what it’s like to be human” (45). To be human means to have feelings that gods do not have, such as wanting to help one’s friends, being brave despite one’s physical limitations, and like Jason, even dying for the sake of others. Gods, too consumed by their own selves, and too bored by their infinite time, choose not to access any of these feelings.