Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods To Know for the Show

Today is the release date of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It is the TV series adaptation of the popular young adult fantasy novels by Rick Riordan. For the most part, Riordan faithfully depicts the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. Admittedly he does make some changes when necessary. However, the most meaningful contribution to the lore is Camp Half-Blood.

At Camp Half-Blood, demigods (the children of the Greek gods) learn to use their abilities. Each demigod stays in a cabin tied to their divine parents. That’s where we’ll meet the titular Percy Jackson. However, who are these different gods? And what abilities do they have? Let’s dive in.

**Minor spoilers ahead for Percy Jackson and the Olympians**

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Zeus

First, there is Zeus. He is Lord of the Skies. Thunder and lightning are both his domain. And without a doubt, his lightning bolt is one of the most well-known aspects of his character! It even played a role in the most recent Thor film. That said, perhaps the most important thing about Zeus is that he is the King of the Gods and Olympus itself.

Olympus is home to all the gods. Since Zeus freed his siblings from the Titans, and fathered so many demigods, he certainly has a lot of power — which makes sense. After destroying his father Kronos, he took one of the largest domains: the heavens themselves. He has complete control of the skies and complete rule over all the other gods.

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Hera

Zeus would be nothing without his wife. Hera is the goddess of marriage and family. She is the Queen of the Gods and the Patroness of Women. In the first Percy Jackson novel, The Lightning Thief, she does not play much of a role. However, by no means is she unimportant. In many ways, she is the mother of all gods and goddesses.

In fact, she even has her own cabin at Camp Half-Blood. However, she does not have any demigod children. Why? Well, while Zeus is happy to prance around and have many children with many humans, Hera herself remains with Zeus alone. And so, there are no demigods in her cabin. But still, there is a cabin to honor her.

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Poseidon

Poseidon is one of the most powerful gods in the Greek pantheon. He is considered a part of the “Big Three.” The Big Three Gods each have a large domain. After all, they’re splitting the power. Though, perhaps they’re not splitting it evenly. While Zeus has the heavens, Poseidon has laid claim to the sea. His power over water is effectively infinite.

He may be one of the most important gods on this entire list. After all, he is Percy Jackson’s father. Slowly, Percy gains influence over water as well. Demigods each gain some small portion of their divine inherited power. And it seems that Percy Jackson gained no small portion from his father.

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Hades

In the first book, Hades does not have a cabin at Camp Half-Blood. However, he is certainly one of the Big Three Gods. Hades is the Lord of the Underworld, and he’s one of the most important gods in the Greek pantheon. Like his brothers, he has one of the largest domains.

The Underworld is vast. And it holds all the dead. More so, it holds vast amounts of wealth. Hades is also married to Persephone, the goddess of springtime. Together, they rule over the Underworld. If you’ve ever seen the play Hadestown, you most certainly have seen this powerful duo before.

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Hermes

Hermes is the god of thieves, travelers, trade, merchants, and roads. Admittedly, he is more often recognized as the Messenger of the Gods. Beyond that, he even guides the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Of course, once he brings them to Hades, Chiron must cart them across the River Styx.

Hermes is the son of Zeus. However, unlike his father, he is extremely connected to mortals. He knows how they work. After all, his domain allows him to know beings from all walks of life. Hermes wants to be helpful. In the Percy Jackson series, he is eager to help his son Luke Castellan. We will most certainly meet Luke in the new series.

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Demeter

Demeter is the Goddess of the Harvest. She is Persephone’s mother. In fact, it’s said that the winter comes only when Persephone is away. That, undoubtedly, is become Demeter misses her. Every season is controlled by Demeter, along with all that grows throughout the year.

Not only does she have control over all plant life, but her magic uses plants in fascinating ways. Her daughter in the Percy Jackson series, Meg McCaffrey, was able to teleport simply by touching a plant. It’s as if Demeter’s magic connects all plant-life around the world!

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Apollo

Next, there is Apollo. He is the God of the Sun. He is also the god of light, healing, music, art, poetry, prophecy, and more. Apollo is responsible for the sun chariot, which pulls the Sun across the sky each day. He is Artemis’ twin brother.

Apollo is actually the protagonist of Rick Riordan’s series The Trials of Apollo. Because of that, his powers definitely fluctuate depending on which story you’re reading. However, within the Percy Jackson series, he seems to be at his full strength, allowing him to control the sun and use his musical abilities to extraordinary effect.

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Artemis

Artemis is the Goddess of the Moon. She is also the goddess of the hunt, archery, wilderness, animals, forests, and much more. She is Apollo’s twin sister. And just like Apollo drives his chariot across the sky, so too does Artemis. However, she drives the moon chariot.

As a particularly skilled archer and hunter, she has been worshipped by many through the ages. That worship has made Artemis more powerful. Her power far exceeds many of the other gods, save for the Big Three.

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Ares

Ares is the God of War. He is the son of Zeus and Hera and, undoubtedly, one of the most physically powerful beings throughout the series. Elsewhere in the pop culture world, he has been a sworn enemy of DC’s Wonder Woman. Like many gods, he has a powerful animal companion. In his case, he has a wild boar. He is able to control certain animals, especially when they are in a rage.

In the first Percy Jackson novel, Ares plays a particularly important role. And, to make things more interesting, one of his daughters is a prominent figure at Camp Half-Blood as well! Clarisse La Rue is typically a bully. But really, her bullying just helps Percy train his new abilities.

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Aphrodite

Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love, along with beauty and desirability. Accordingly, she has complete domain over peoples’ emotions when it comes to love and passion. Aphrodite can also manipulate beauty just the same.

While all Greek gods have the ability to shapeshift, something about her powers surpasses simple form changing. She has the ability to take the form of anything that someone desires. Somehow, she’s the exact appearance of perfection based on whoever perceives her. This power gives her the ability to manipulate people brilliantly.

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Athena

Next, there is Athena. She is the goddess of wisdom, civilization, math, strategy, arts, and intelligence. Her divine wisdom allows her to concoct strategies that far exceed even the most clever minds. She is just as logical as she is compassionate.

However, for the purposes of this article, the most important thing to know about Athena is that she is Annabeth Chase’s mother. Annabeth Chase is one of the main characters of the series alongside Percy Jackson. Fans will meet Annabeth at Camp Half-Blood!

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Hephaestus

Hera used her own strength and magic of fertility to create Hephaestus by herself. In fact, he is one of the only gods that is not a sibling or child of Zeus. No, he is the god of forges, fire, technology, craftsmen, sculptors, volcanoes, and blacksmiths. Hephaestus himself created nearly every single weapon and powerful artifact for the gods.

He crafted Cupid’s arrows and Athena’s shield. He makes unique technology and has the ability to create technology better than anyone. In the novel, we don’t spend much time with Hephaestus. However, Percy and Annabeth do get caught in one of his traps.

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Dionysus

Finally, there is Dionysus. He is the god of wine, orchards, fertility, parties, and theater. And, as it so happens, he is the camp counselor at Camp Half-Blood. True, this might have been a punishment. However, when you father is Zeus, the punishments tend to stick.

Everyone at Camp Half-Blood calls him Mr. D. Naturally, since he’s a big fan of parties, he’s also a big fan of games. In fact, in the series, he plays pinochle with Chiron. According to Mr. D, pinochle is one of the best games. Along with Pac-Man and gladiator fighting, of course!

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So, did you read the Percy Jackson novels? Or perhaps you’ve always harbored a fascination with Greek mythology? Most importantly, are you planning to watch Percy Jackson and the Olympians?