User blog comment:Hyperborean/"The House of Hades" – official expectations blog/@comment-5577244-20121222060112/@comment-76.245.8.194-20121223162138

My theory is that the statue has the power to potentially wipe out the Romans. Basically it will act like a nuclear deterrent to help bring the camp leaders to the table for peace talks. Plus at one point doesn't someone (Aphrodite maybe?) ask Annabeth whether she will use the statue for war or peace? So maybe Janus will show up with that choice he mentioned in BotL.