by Rick Riordan
“Meg, you’ve done so much for me. For all of us. I…I promised to reward you when I became a god again.”
She started to speak, but I interrupted.
“No, wait,” I said. “I understand that would cheapen our friendship. I cannot solve mortal problems with a snap of my fingers. I see that you don’t want a reward. But you will always be my friend. And if you ever need me, even just to talk, I will be here.”
Her mouth twitched. “Thanks. That’s good. But…actually, I would be okay with a unicorn.”
She had done it again. She could still surprise me. I laughed, snapped my fingers, and a unicorn appeared on the hillside below us, whinnying and scratching the ground with its gold-and-pearl hooves.
She threw her arms around me. “Thanks. You’ll still be my friend, too, right?”
“As long as you’ll still be mine,” I said.
She thought about this. “Yeah. I can do that.”
I don’t recall what else we talked about. The piano lessons I had promised her. Different varieties of succulents. The care and feeding of unicorns. I was just happy to be with her.
At last, as the sun went down, Meg seemed to understand it was time for me to leave.
“You’ll come back?” she asked.
“Always,” I promised. “The sun always comes back.”
So, dear reader, we have come to the end of my trials. You have followed me through five volumes of adventures and six months of pain and suffering. By my reckoning, you have read two hundred and ten of my haiku. Like Meg, you surely deserve a reward.
What would you accept? I am fresh out of unicorns. However, anytime you take aim and prepare to fire your best shot, anytime you seek to put your emotions into a song or poem, know that I am smiling on you. We are friends now.
Call on me. I will be there for you.
Achilles a Greek hero of the Trojan War who was killed by an arrow shot into his heel, his one vulnerable spot
Aelian an early third-century-CE Roman author who wrote sensational stories about strange events and miraculous occurrences and was best known for his book On the Nature of Animals
Agrippina the Younger an ambitious and bloodthirsty Roman empress who was Nero’s mother; she was so domineering toward her son that he ordered her killed.
ambrosia a food of the gods that can heal demigods if eaten in small doses; it tastes like the user’s favorite food
amphisbaena a snake with a head at each end, born from the blood that dripped from Medusa’s severed head
Anicetus Nero’s loyal servant, who carried out the order to kill Agrippina, Nero’s mother
Aphrodite Greek goddess of love and beauty. Roman form: Venus
Ares the Greek god of war; the son of Zeus and Hera. Roman form: Mars
Artemis the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon; the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin of Apollo. Roman form: Diana
Asclepius the god of medicine; son of Apollo; his temple was the healing center of ancient Greece
Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom. Roman form: Minerva
Athena Parthenos a forty-foot-tall statue of the goddess Athena that was once the central figure in the Parthenon of Athens. It currently stands on Half-Blood Hill at Camp Half-Blood.
Bacchus Roman god of wine and revelry; son of Jupiter. Greek form: Dionysus
Battle of Manhattan the climactic final battle of the Second Titan War
Benito Mussolini an Italian politician who became the leader of the National Fascist Party, a paramilitary organization. He ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943, first as a prime minister and then as a dictator.
boare Latin equivalent of boo
Boreas god of the North Wind
Caligula the nickname of the third of Rome’s emperors, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, infamous for his cruelty and carnage during the four years he ruled, from 37 to 41 CE; he was assassinated by his own guard
Camp Half-Blood the training ground for Greek demigods, located in Long Island, New York
Camp Jupiter the training ground for Roman demigods, located in California, between the Oakland Hills and the Berkeley Hills
Celestial bronze a powerful magical metal used to create weapons wielded by Greek gods and their demigod children
Celtic relating to a group of Indo-European peoples identified by their cultural similarities and use of languages such as Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, and others, including pre-Roman Gaulish
centaur a race of creatures that is half human, half horse. They are excellent archers.
Chaos the first primordial deity and the creator of the universe; a shapeless void below even the depths of Tartarus
Cistern a refuge for dryads in Palm Springs, California
cohort a group of legionnaires
Commodus Lucius Aurelius Commodus was the son of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius; he became co-emperor when he was sixteen and emperor at eighteen, when his father died; he ruled from 177 to 192 CE and was megalomaniacal and corrupt; he considered himself the New Hercules and enjoyed killing animals and fighting gladiators at the Colosseum
Cumaean Sibyl an Oracle of Apollo from Cumae who collected her prophetic instructions for averting disaster in nine volumes but destroyed six of them when trying to sell them to Tarquinius Superbus of Rome
Cyclops (Cyclopes, pl.) a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his or her forehead
cynocephalus (cynocephali, pl.) a being with a human body and a dog’s head
Daedalus a Greek demigod, the son of Athena and inventor of many things, including the Labyrinth, where the Minotaur (part man, part bull) was kept
Dante an Italian poet of the late Middle Ages who invented terza rima; author of The Divine Comedy, among other works
Daphne a beautiful naiad who attracted Apollo’s attention; she transformed into a laurel tree in order to escape him
Deimos Greek god of fear
Demeter the Greek goddess of agriculture; a daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos
denarius (denari, pl.) a unit of Roman currency
Diana the Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon; the daughter of Jupiter and Leto, and the twin of Apollo. Greek form: Artemis
Didyma the oracular shrine to Apollo in Miletus, a port city on the western coast of modern-day Turkey
dimachaerus (dimachaeri, pl.) a Roman gladiator trained to fight with two swords at once
Dionysus Greek god of wine and revelry; the son of Zeus. Roman form: Bacchus
drachma a unit of ancient Greek currency
drakon a gigantic yellow-and-green serpentlike monster, with frills around its neck, reptilian eyes, and huge talons; it spits poison
dryad a spirit (usually female) associated with a certain tree
Elysium the paradise to which Greek heroes are sent when the gods grant them immortality
Erebos the Greek primordial god of darkness; a place of darkness between Earth and Hades
fasces a ceremonial ax wrapped in a bundle of thick wooden rods with its crescent-shaped blade projecting outward; the ultimate symbol of authority in ancient Rome; origin of the word fascism
Fates three female personifications of destiny. They control the thread of life for every living thing from birth to death.
faun a Roman forest god, part goat and part man
Fields of Punishment the section of the Underworld where people who were evil during their lives are sent to face eternal punishment for their crimes after death
Gaea the Greek earth goddess; wife of Ouranos; mother of the Titans, giants, Cyclopes, and other monsters
Ganymede a beautiful Trojan boy whom Zeus abducted to be cupbearer to the gods
Gaul the name that Romans gave to the Celts and their territories
Germanus (Germani, pl.) a bodyguard for the Roman Empire from the Gaulish and Germanic tribal people who settled to the west of the Rhine river
glámon the ancient Greek equivalent of dirty old man
; Golden Fleece this hide from a gold-haired winged ram was a symbol of authority and kingship; it was guarded by a dragon and fire-breathing bulls; Jason was tasked with obtaining it, resulting in an epic quest. It now hangs on Thalia’s tree at Camp Half-Blood to help strengthen the magical borders.
Gray Sisters Tempest, Anger, and Wasp, a trio of old women who share a single eye and a single tooth and operate a taxi that serves the New York City area
Greek fire a magical, highly explosive, viscous green liquid used as a weapon; one of the most dangerous substances on earth
griffin a flying creature that is part lion, part eagle
Grove of Dodona the site of the oldest Greek Oracle, second only to Delphi in importance; the rustling of trees in the grove provided answers to priests and priestesses who journeyed to the site. The grove is located in Camp Half-Blood Forest and accessible only through the myrmekes’ lair.
Hades the Greek god of death and riches; ruler of the Underworld. Roman form: Pluto
Harpocrates the god of silence
harpy a winged female creature that snatches things
Hecate goddess of magic and crossroads
Helios the Titan god of the sun; son of the Titan Hyperion and the Titaness Theia
Hephaestus the Greek god of fire, including volcanic, and of crafts and blacksmithing; the son of Zeus and Hera, and married to Aphrodite. Roman form: Vulcan
Hera the Greek goddess of marriage; Zeus’s wife and sister; Apollo’s stepmother
Hermes Greek god of travelers; guide to spirits of the dead; god of communication. Roman form: Mercury
Herophile the Oracle of Erythraea; she spouts prophecies in the form of word puzzles
Hestia Greek goddess of the hearth
Hunters of Artemis a group of maidens loyal to Artemis and gifted with hunting skills and eternal youth as long as they reject men for life
Hyacinthus a Greek hero and Apollo’s lover, who died while trying to impress Apollo with his discus skills
Icarus the son of Daedalus, best known for flying too close to the sun while trying to escape the island of Crete by using metal-and-wax wings invented by his father; he died when he didn’t heed his father’s warnings
Imperial gold a rare metal deadly to monsters, consecrated at the Pantheon; its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors
Julius Caesar a Roman politician and general whose military accomplishments extended Rome’s territory and ultimately led to a civil war that enabled him to assume control of the government in 49 BCE. He was declared “dictator for life” and went on to institute social reforms that angered some powerful Romans. A group of senators conspired against him and assassinated him on March 15, 44 BCE.
Jupiter the Roman god of the sky and king of the gods. Greek form: Zeus
karpos (karpoi, pl.) grain spirit; a child of Tartarus and Gaea
King Midas a ruler who was famous for being able to turn everything he touched into gold, an ability granted by Dionysus
Koronis one of Apollo’s girlfriends, who fell in love with another man. A white raven Apollo had left to guard her informed him of the affair. Apollo was so angry at the raven for failing to peck out the man’s eyes that he cursed the bird, scorching its feathers. Apollo sent his sister, Artemis, to kill Koronis, because he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Kronos the Titan lord of time, evil, and the harvest. He is the youngest but boldest and most devious of Gaea’s children; he convinced several of his brothers to aid him in the murder of their father, Ouranos. He was also Percy Jackson’s primary opponent. Roman form: Saturn
Labyrinth an underground maze originally built on the island of Crete by the craftsman Daedalus to hold the Minotaur
Lar (Lares, pl.) Roman house gods
leontocephaline a being with the head of a lion and the body of a man entwined with a snake without a head or tail; created by Mithras, a Persian god, to protect his immortality
Leto mother of Artemis and Apollo with Zeus; goddess of motherhood
Lugus one of the major gods in ancient Celtic religion
Lupa the wolf goddess, guardian spirit of Rome
Mars the Roman god of war. Greek form: Ares
Marsyas a satyr who lost to Apollo after challenging him in a musical contest, which led to Marsyas being flayed alive
Meliai Greek nymphs of the ash tree, born of Gaea; they nurtured and raised Zeus in Crete
Mercury Roman god of travelers; guide to spirits of the dead; god of communication. Greek form: Hermes.
Minerva the Roman goddess of wisdom. Greek form: Athena
Minoans a Bronze Age civilization of Crete that flourished from c. 3000 to 1100 BCE; their name comes from King Minos
Minotaur the half-man, half-bull son of King Minos of Crete; the Minotaur was kept in the Labyrinth, where he killed people who were sent in; he was finally defeated by Theseus
Mist a magical force that prevents mortals from seeing gods, mythical creatures, and supernatural occurrences by replacing them with things the human mind can comprehend
Mithras a Persian god who was adopted by the Romans and became the god of warriors; he created the leontocephaline
Morpheus the Titan who put all the mortals in New York to sleep during the Battle of Manhattan
Mount Olympus home of the Twelve Olympians
naiad a female water spirit
nectar a drink of the gods that can heal demigods
Nero ruled as Roman Emperor from 54 to 58 CE; he had his mother and his first wife put to death; many believe he was responsible for setting a fire that gutted Rome, but he blamed the Christians, whom he burned on crosses; he built an extravagant new palace on the cleared land and lost support when construction expenses forced him to raise taxes; he committed suicide
New Rome both the valley in which Camp Jupiter is located and a city—a smaller, modern version of the imperial city—where Roman demigods can go to live in peace, study, and retire
Nine Muses goddesses who grant inspiration for and protect artistic creation and expression; daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; as children, they were taught by Apollo. Their names are: Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania, and Calliope.
nymph a female deity who animates nature
omphalos Greek for navel of the world; the nickname for Delphi, a spring that whispered the future to those who would listen
Oracle of Delphi a speaker of the prophecies of Apollo
pandos (pandai, pl.) a man with gigantic ears, eight fingers and toes, and a body covered with hair that starts out white and turns black with age
pegasus (pegasi, pl.) a winged divine horse; sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god
Peleus father of Achilles; his wedding to the sea nymph Thetis was well attended by the gods, and a disagreement between them at the event eventually led to the Trojan War; the guardian dragon at Camp Half-Blood is named after him
Persephone the Greek goddess of springtime and vegetation; daughter of Zeus and Demeter; Hades fell in love with her and abducted her to the Underworld to become his wife and queen of the Underworld
Phaethon the demigod son of Helios, Titan of the Sun; he accidentally scorched the Earth when he drove Helios’s sun chariot, and Zeus killed him with lightning as a result
Pluto the Roman god of death and ruler of the Underworld. Greek form: Hades
Poseidon the Greek god of the sea; son of the Titans Kronos and Rhea, and the brother of Zeus and Hades. Roman form: Neptune
praetor an elected Roman magistrate and commander of the army
Primordial Chaos the first thing ever to exist; a void from which the first gods were produced
princeps Latin for first citizen or first in line; the early Roman emperors adopted this title for themselves, and it came to mean prince of Rome
Pythia the priestess of Apollo’s prophecies; the name given to every Oracle of Delphi
Python a monstrous serpent that Gaea appointed to guard the Orac
le at Delphi
River Styx the river that forms the boundary between Earth and the Underworld
roc an enormous bird of prey
Sassanid gas a chemical weapon the Persians used against the Romans in wartime
Saturnalia an ancient Roman festival held in December in honor of the god Saturn, the Roman equivalent of Kronos
satyr a Greek forest god, part goat and part man
scusatemi Italian for excuse me
shadow-travel a form of transportation that allows creatures of the Underworld and children of Hades to use shadows to leap to any desired place on Earth or in the Underworld, although it makes the user extremely fatigued
Sibyl a prophetess
sica (siccae, pl.) a short, curved sword
Socrates a Greek philosopher (c. 470–399 BCE) who had a profound influence on Western thought
Stygian iron a magical metal forged in the River Styx, capable of absorbing the very essence of monsters and injuring mortals, gods, Titans, and giants; has a significant effect on ghosts and creatures from the Underworld
Styx a powerful water nymph; the eldest daughter of the sea Titan, Oceanus; goddess of the Underworld’s most important river; goddess of hatred; the River Styx is named after her
Sutro Tower a massive red-and-white transmission antenna in the San Francisco Bay Area where Harpocrates, the god of silence, was imprisoned by Commodus and Caligula
Tarquin Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was the seventh and final king of Rome, reigning from 534 to 509 BCE, when, after a popular uprising, the Roman Republic was established
Tartarus husband of Gaea; spirit of the abyss; father of the giants; the darkest pit in the Underworld, where monsters go when they are slain
taurus silvestre (tauri silvestres, pl.) a forest bull with an impenetrable hide; ancestral enemy of the troglodytes
Terpsichore Greek goddess of dance; one of the Nine Muses
terza rima a form of verse consisting of three-line stanzas in which the first and third lines rhyme and the middle line rhymes with the first and third lines of the following stanza
testudo a tortoise battle formation in which legionnaires put their shields together to form a barrier
Teumessian Fox a gigantic fox sent by the Olympians to prey upon the children of Thebes; it is destined never to be caught