The Tower of Nero

Nero’s fasces is a symbol of the power and arrogance of the Triumvirate. The hardness and indestructibility of the axe symbolize the challenge it will present to mortals while its association with gold, in the form of the golden rods that surround it, symbolizes royal and imperial authority. The fasces is an artifact with roots in history: In ancient Rome the axe and the rods together were carried by authority figures. Because the rods were bundled, they denoted a consolidation of power. Since the axe can inflict death, and sticks can carry out corporal punishment, the message the fasces conveyed was that the fasces-holder had the power to cause both pain and death.

In The Tower of Nero, the fasces is also a symbol of immortal and magical power. Nero cannot be killed unless his fasces is destroyed. Further, when the fasces of Commodus and Caligula, the other Roman emperors, are destroyed, the power simply transfers to the bundled axe of Nero. This complex transfer of power is an allusion to how wealth and power operate in the contemporary world. Power tends to exchange hands among a select few, and wealth is distributed among monopolies, systems dominated by a single or few business interests. Apollo’s breaking of the fasces symbolizes the distribution of power from one to many and can be seen as a radical act.

Prophecies or predictions are a motif in the book that serve to move the plot along and illustrate the complex relationship between fate and choice. Apollo receives four prophecies in the narrative: the predictions of the amphisbaena, the Gray Sisters, and Rachel, and the single-line prophecy of Python. While the prophetic utterances seem to indicate that fate is predestined, Rachel emphasizes that prophecies can be fulfilled in a way that does not bypass free will and choice. For instance, Apollo’s fall is not a given; as it turns out, Apollo chooses to fall so he can rise. Therefore, prophecies work in mysterious ways and do not imply that people are puppets of fate.

Every bit of prophecy in the text is delivered by an entity suited to be a prophetic vessel. The amphisbaena is a snake or serpent, and serpents in Greek mythology are linked with prophecy and wisdom. They are often found near Oracles. Similarly, Python too is a serpent. The Gray Sisters are the Graeae, ancient goddesses of prophecy who materialize in the form of three elderly women. Rachel is a Pythia or a priestess of Delphi. This indicates that prophecies are only told through mediums suited to them, enhancing the mystery around the motif. Another motif associated with prophecy is the Arrow of Dodona. Given to Apollo by the Oracle of Dodona, the talking arrow often acts as an exasperating guide to the god. In The Tower of Nero, the arrow’s relationship with Apollo improves, indicating that the god is growing into his prophetic powers. (Apollo’s dream-visions too are correspondingly more structured and powerful.) Apollo’s willingness to understand the point of view of the arrow symbolizes his acknowledgment of his own humanity.