APOLLO - PRINCE OF PEACE -- by Phoebe Lyra
As an Apollonian, there are some questions I was interested in exploring. First of all, how does the principle of "Know thyself" relate to the peace process? And then, what happens to our relationship with the Gods when we don't pay special attention to the issues of peace and self-knowledge? Why is Apollo a God of peace? And how can we use Apollonian principles to promote peace in the world?
When talking about peace, we often start at the world level, and we're both horrified and amazed that anyone could think it's OK to commit the atrocities of war, whether it's the nuclear attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War 2, or the invasion of Iraq that's happened just recently. But if we're honest, we might recognize that violence really does not begin at the global level. It begins in the human heart. And to begin a peace process, we need to know what's going on in there, and to understand our own nature. One of the most important principles that was taught by Apollo is "Know thyself". This one was important enough to have been carved in stone, over the door of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.
If we take this principle seriously, we can admit that as individuals, we aren't always very peaceful, and indeed, we have as much power to cause destruction in the world as to build an orderly, peaceful home and community. I'm sure most of us have had our "moments" when we've been at the brink of going out of control. So really, the global situation isn't much of a surprise.
So, if we don't take knowing ourselves to be something we should pay serious attention to, how might this affect the relationship that a community of people have towards entities they consider divine? It seems logical that if a group of people aren't making a conscious effort to look for non-violent solutions, it should be considered OK for divine beings not to do so either -- and the result is that Gods are worshipped as war-gods. Apollo has sometimes been invoked as a war-god or ascribed characteristics of a violent entity, for example, in Homer's Illiad, Apollo engages in terrorist behavior which takes the form of biological warfare against the Achaean army. But this is myth, not scripture, and there is no good reason to give Apollo the reputation of being a bringer of plagues, or of being as divided and chaotic in his ethical behavior as we humans are.
I don't believe Apollo is a war-god, regardless of whether people in ancient times, or even today, would like to put him in that role. Nevertheless, I think there is still reason to believe that Apollo knows quite well what it feels like to have emotions that can lead to destructive behavior, which may be one of the reasons Apollonians can relate well to him. I can't dispute that he may have experienced feelings of anger and been tempted to commit violence, but it is his conscious commitment to reasonable, orderly behavior that makes him a God of peace. The other principle that was carved in stone over the door of his temple is "nothing in excess" -- and anger that is acted out without regard for human life is obviously excessive. As Linda mentioned, Apollo's peace does not come from being mellowed out on alcohol or a drug. It comes from self-discipline and his ability to understand what makes people tick and what makes the cosmos tick. The temptation to do the wrong thing, which is violent and destructive, may well be present, but the decision to do the right thing, which is orderly and rational, is Apollonian behavior.
If we want to use Apollonian principles to do our part in healing the world, we can keep in mind the maturity that Apollo has which makes him such a good inspiration for us to do the same, as we apply moderation and reasonableness in building peaceful, safe communities and personal lives. It's not always easy to do this, since it takes a lot more skill, maturity, and gumption to apply the principles of peaceful conflict resolution that to pull out a gun and shoot someone.
To sum up, we need to recognize our own inner conflicts and be aware of our destructive power as well as the power to build peace. We also need to be committed to the peace process, and order and rationality in our own behavior. "Know thyself" -- "Everything in moderation". Apollo's temple is a place of peace, for the Prince of Peace.
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