The Lightning Thief Author Rick Riordan An Introduction

The Lightning Thief Author: Rick Riordan An Introduction to Greek Mythology

Characters You’ll Meet Percy Jackson The Olympians Titans & Other Gods Monsters & Creatures

The 12 Olympian Gods Zeus Poseidon Ares Apollo Hephaestus Hermes Hera Demeter Athena Artemis Aphrodite Dionysus They are called Olympians because they made their home on Mount Olympus. The gods are immortal, so they cannot be killed.

ZEUS • • Pronounced: ZOOSE Lord of the sky, chief god of the Olympians Led a revolt against his father, the Titan (giant), Kronos (CROW-NUS) Weapon: lightning bolt Symbol: eagle Wife: Hera (HERE-UH or HARE-UH; had many other goddess and mortal women girlfriends) Demigod (half-god) Children: Perseus (PERSEE-US) and Heracles (HERE-UH-CLEES or HARE -UH-CLEES)

HERA • • • Pronounced: HERE-UH or HARE-UH Goddess of marriage and motherhood Very jealous of Zeus’s girlfriends Symbols: cow (the most motherly animal) and colorful peacock Husband: Zeus (he’s also her brother…ew!)

POSEIDON • • • Pronounced: POE-SY-DUN God of the sea Zeus’s brother Had many goddess and mortal women girlfriends, like Zeus Symbol: trident Temperament: sometimes violent, sometimes calm (just like the sea)

DEMETER • • Pronounced: DUH-MEE-TER Goddess of agriculture Sister of Hera and Zeus Daughter, Persephone (PER-SEF-UH-NEE), was captured by Hades (HAY-DEES) and taken to the Underworld. Persephone married Hades and spent half the year with him and the other half with her mother. Demeter would only allow crops to grow while Persephone was with her, and thus the seasons were created.

ARES • • Pronounced: AIR-EES God of war Cruel son of Hera and Zeus Loved battle, but was not smart about it Was a coward at heart like most bullies Weapon: spear Symbol: wild boar

ATHENA • • • Pronounced: UH-THEE-NUH Goddess of war and wisdom Sprang from Zeus’s head when another god split open his head to relieve a headache Invented many things (chariot, loom) Symbols: owl, olive tree, aegis (ee-jis, which is a special shield mounted with Medusa’s head)

APOLLO • • • Pronounced: UH-PAH-LOW God of archery, divination, the arts, and the sun Handsome and talented twin brother of Artemis Created music Symbols: lyre, laurel tree, mouse (animal that runs everywhere and overhears many secrets)

ARTEMIS • • • Pronounced: AR-TUH-MISS Goddess of the hunt and the moon Apollo’s twin sister Great archer and hunter Symbols: deer and bow

HEPHAESTUS • • • Pronounced: HUH-FES-TUS God of fire and blacksmithing Son of Zeus threw him from Mount Olympus, so he grew up ugly and crippled Wife: Aphrodite (A-FRO-DIE-TEE) (Hera gave him Aphrodite, hoping it would calm Aphrodite down)

APHRODITE • • Pronounced: A-FRO-DIE-TEE Goddess of love Most beautiful goddess, but very vain Magic belt could cause anyone to fall in love with her Husband: Hephaestus Given to Hephaestus, but was in love with Ares Symbol: dove

HERMES • • • Pronounced: HER-MEES God of merchants, travelers, thieves, and medicine Son of Zeus Used speedy winged sandals to deliver messages to the gods Symbol: caduceus (winged staff entwined with serpents)

DIONYSUS • • Pronounced: DIE-UH-NY-SUS God of wine Born a mortal, but Zeus granted him immortality when he invented wine Gave Midas his golden touch

Titans & Other Gods HADES Rhea Prometheus Kronos Hestia The Titans were a family of Giants who wanted to rule the heavens, but were overthrown by Zeus and his family.

Hades • • • Pronounced: HAY-DEES God of the Underworld Zeus’s brother Became lord of the Underworld when Zeus took over the world Oversaw the souls of the dead and guarded the pit of Tartarus, where the Titans and monsters were imprisoned after the great war. Servants: three Furies, Charon, and Cerberus.

KRONOs • • • Pronounced: CROW-NUS Lord of the Titans, ruled before the Olympians Called “The Twisted One” after he sliced his own father, Uranus (YER-UH-NUS), to pieces Feared his own children (the Olympian gods) would do the same to him, so he ate them, but his wife hid their 6 th child, Zeus, from him When Zeus was older, he tricked Kronos into throwing up the children, who waged war against him, and Kronos was cast into Tartarus

RHEA • • • Pronounced: RAY-UH Wife of Kronos Mother of the first 6 gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia (HES-TEE-UH)

HESTIA • • Pronounced: HES-TEE-UH Goddess of the home and domestic harmony Gentle, humble goddess Gave up her seat on the Olympian council to Dionysus in order to keep peace among the gods

Prometheus • • • Pronounced: PRO-MEE-THEE-US Titan who did not fight against the gods Brought man the secret of fire Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock where birds of prey would eat his liver each day Some say he was finally freed by Heracles (a. k. a. Hercules)

MONSTERS & CREATURES Furies Harpies Naiads Charon Echidna Cerberus Centaurs Chiron Fates Dryads Nereids Minotaur Medusa Chimera Satyrs

FURIES & FATES FURIES • The three furies were avenging female spirits controlled by Hades • They had bat wings, fiery whips, bleeding eyes, and snake hair FATES • The three fates were mysterious old hags who controlled the destiny of all living things from birth until death • They spun out each life as a thread, and then cut it at the moment of death

HARPIES & DRYADS HARPIES • Wild, unruly, bird-winged maidens, sometimes pictured as ugly hags • They sometimes carried people off to the Underworld DRYADS • Pronounced: DRY-ADS • Female spirits of nature that lived in trees or forests

NAIADS & NEREIDS NAIADS • Pronounced: NAY-ADS • Female spirits that lived in bodies of fresh water such as rivers and lakes NEREIDS • Pronounced: NEER-EE-IDS • Female spirits that lived in bodies of salt water such as seas and oceans

ECHIDNA & MEDUSA ECHIDNA • Pronounced: UH-KID-NUH • Half woman, half serpent • Children: Cerberus (SER-BER-US) and Chimera (KY-MARE -UH) MEDUSA • Pronounced: MUH-DOO-SUH • One of the 3 Gorgon sisters • Once was a lovely maiden, but had an affair with Poseidon, which angered Athena, who turned her into a monster with hair of snakes and a gaze that turns anyone who sees it to stone • Perseus cut off her head and mounted it on Athena’s

CERBERUS & CHIMERA CERBERUS • Pronounced: SER-BER-US • 3 -headed dog who guarded the gates of the Underworld; permitted new spirits to enter, but allowed no one to leave • Son of the monster, Echidna, brother of Chimera CHIMERA • Pronounced: KY-MARE-UH • Body of a goat, head of a lion, tail of a serpent • Son of Echidna, brother of Cerberus

Charon & MINOTAUR CHARON • • • Pronounced: CARE-ON Ferryman of the dead; carried them over the River Styx to the Underworld; Greeks would leave a coin under the tongues of the dead to pay the toll to cross the river Those who couldn’t pay the toll were doomed to wander the earth until they found another way into the Underworld MINOTAUR • Pronounced: MIN-OH-TAR • Half man, half bull • Caused so much destruction that King Minos had Daedalus build a maze called the Labyrinth to imprison him

Centaurs & SATYRS CENTAURS • Pronounced: SEN-TARS • Human from the waist up, horse from the waist down SATYR • Pronounced: SAY-TER • Human from the waist up, goat from the waist down • Companions of Dionysus

CHIRON • • • Pronounced: KY-RON Kind and wise centaur who trained many Olympian heroes, including Heracles (Hercules) He was not only a trainer, but a healer