One of the most interesting things about TOA for me is Apollo's relationship with his father. Like, the parallels between Zeus and Nero are abundantly clear, and it's impossible to deny that Zeus has done some horrible shit to Apollo and countless others. What separates him from Nero for me, though, is that while Nero has no love in him at all, Zeus seems to have doted on his son in the past (book 2 lullaby scene), and is suggested to still worry for him even now, albeit only once his very existence is at risk (book 5 council scene).
I think that there is love in Zeus, but that eons of being a tyrant have made him so angry and paranoid that it's been buried pretty deep. Does this make him a good person? No. Does this mean Apollo should forgive him? No way! The dude's a mess, and I think Apollo's choice to distance himself from him is the best thing he could have done. All I'm saying is that I don't think Zeus is quite the bastard some fics make him out to be, and that it makes me sad to always see him portrayed as a simple villain. I think he's more complex than that. Does that make any sense?
At best, Zeus is a grey character.
Is he good? No
Is he a good dad? Not to Apollo, and for sure not to Jason.
Did he have to make difficult choices? Yes, and he made many mistakes. But he cannot be paranoid, not when his family's history taught otherwise. Not after his own wife tried to take the throne.
Zeus knows that one day he could end like Kronos. It wasn't a matter of if, but of when.
So, he had to be ruthless, for his own sake and for his reign.
But Apollo didn't have to put up with that.