#Lucan: humankind (derogatory)

[my-name-is-apollo]

On the prophetic nature of the Delphic god (Apollo):

What god of heaven suffers earth’s weight, knows every secret of eternity’s course, aware of the world’s futurity, ready to reveal its presence to the nations, and endure contact with humankind? A great and mighty power, whether the utterance it produces determines fate, or whether it merely voices destiny.

- Lucan, Pharsalia (Trans. A. S. Kline)

This is actually the first time I've seen someone talking about the possibility of prophecies determining the fate, so this took me by surprise. Also the first time I've seen the knowledge of the future being a weight that Apollo has to carry, so that's very interesting too.