Riordan’s warning about the hamartia of doubt holds true in modern times. Some people respect others only because they fear retribution if they disrespect, or look at them with awe and idolize them. Others associate with famous people because they want to ride on their influence and social status (as Horace Slughorn so often did), not seeing them for who they really are. Everyone experiences grief, and sometimes this comes not from physical death, but from spiritual death. A person can kill who they used to be, as happened with Merlin’s ex-fiancé. Orpheus let his acedia, his loneliness, insecurities, and his paranoia consume him. In this way, he can be said to personify Dependent Personality Disorder, a chronic, psychological condition in which
