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The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena
First edition cover
AuthorRick Riordan
Cover artistJohn Rocco
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Heroes of Olympus
(book 3)
GenreFantasy, Greek and Roman mythology, young adult fiction
PublisherDisney-Hyperion Books[1]
Publication date
October 2, 2012
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book
Pages586 (first ed., hardcover)[1]
ISBN978-1-4231-4060-3
OCLC785897707
LC ClassPZ7.R4829 Mar 2012[1]
Preceded byThe Son of Neptune 
Followed byThe House of Hades 

The Mark of Athena is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 2, 2012, and is the third book in The Heroes of Olympus series, a sequel to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. It is preceded by The Son of Neptune and followed by The House of Hades. The novel is narrated in the third-person.

The Mark of Athena received positive reviews from critics for its humor, characters, and mix of elements. Criticism was focused on its slow pace, action, and different perspectives. It has since been translated into many languages and released as a hardcover, e-book, audiobook, and paperback.

Plot

Six months after the events of The Lost Hero, Leo Valdez has constructed a flying trireme named Argo II, for use in the quest to Greece and Rome to stop Gaea from awakening. Leo Valdez, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, and Annabeth Chase, accompanied by Coach Hedge, arrive at Camp Jupiter to rendezvous with Percy Jackson and Roman demigods Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque. Camp Jupiter's praetor Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano tells Annabeth that in order to unite Greek and Roman demigods against Gaea, they have to retrieve the Athena Parthenos, a giant statue of Athena that was stolen by the Romans from the Greeks in ancient times. The statue can only be retrieved by the demigod children of Athena through the help of the Mark of Athena, and no one has succeeded. Their conversation is interrupted by an Eidolon, who possesses Leo and forces him to attack the Roman camp. This causes the paranoid augur, Octavian, to convince the Romans that the Greeks are a threat and have to be destroyed.

The seven demigods escape Camp Jupiter and briefly land near the Great Salt Lake. While there, Leo meets Nemesis, who gives him a fortune cookie that will help him if he breaks it, though doing so has consequences. Then, the group heads to Kansas, where Percy, Jason, and Piper disembark to find Bacchus, who tells them that they should find Phorcys. Gaea sends Eidolons to possess Percy and Jason in Kansas but they are repelled by Piper's charmspeak. When the demigods meet Phorcys and his sister, Keto, at the Georgia Aquarium, they turn out to be hostile, and the demigods are forced to battle them. Throughout the journey, tensions rise between Hazel, Frank, and Leo, especially when Leo discovers that Hazel's previous boyfriend was Leo's identical-looking great-grandfather Sammy Valdez. The group also learn that Nico di Angelo, who has been captured by the Giants during his travel to find the Doors of Death, is dying and must be saved. While searching for the Mark of Athena at Fort Sumter in Charleston, the demigods are ambushed by the Romans, but Reyna decides to let Annabeth continue her search for the Athena Parthenos, telling her that their next encounter will not be friendly. Annabeth finds a map about the mark of Athena, and returns to the ship.

While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the Argo II is attacked by the Scolopendra, one of Keto's children, and Leo, Frank, and Hazel are briefly sent underwater to Chiron's brother, the Ichthyocentaurs. While traveling to Rome, they dodge Hercules at the Strait of Gibraltar and sail through the Mediterranean Sea, confronting Chrysaor along the way. There, the group splits up: Hedge guards the ship; Percy, Jason, and Piper scout the Colosseum; Frank, Hazel, and Leo search for Nico; and Annabeth looks for the Athena Parthenos. Percy and Jason defeat Ephialtes and Otis, the twin Giants who captured Nico, with the help of Bacchus. Frank, Hazel, and Leo are trapped by the Eidolons underground, but Leo uses his fortune cookie to bail them out. Annabeth, meanwhile, faces a variety of challenges, eventually confronting Arachne and defeats her using trickery, pushing her into Tartarus. The demigods secure the Athena Parthenos and save Nico; however, Arachne uses her remaining silk and pulls Annabeth and Percy into Tartarus; Percy hanging on the edge, asks Nico to meet them at the other side of the Doors of Death and falls into the abyss. Leo realizes that Percy and Annabeth's fall are the "consequences" mentioned by Nemesis and feels personally responsible. All the remaining members set sail for Greece.[2]

Characters

Main article: List of characters in mythology novels by Rick Riordan
  • Annabeth Chase – daughter of Athena (called Minerva by the Romans). She is tasked with recovering the Athena Parthenos, which will be instrumental in uniting the Greeks and Romans. Girlfriend of Percy Jackson.[2]
  • Leo Valdez – son of Hephaestus (known as Vulcan in the Roman pantheon). He is briefly possessed by an eidolon in the book, and feels personally responsible for Annabeth and Percy falling into Tartarus.[2]
  • Piper McLean – daughter of Aphrodite (known as Venus by the Romans). She is the girlfriend of Jason Grace. Piper has the gift of charmspeak.[2]
  • Percy Jackson – son of Poseidon, also known as Neptune to the Romans, who recently recovered from amnesia and was formerly praetor in Camp Jupiter. He is the boyfriend of Annabeth Chase.[2]
  • Jason Grace – son of Jupiter. (Also known as Zeus in Greek). Praetor of Camp Jupiter, who recently recovered from amnesia after Hera stole his memory. He is the boyfriend of Piper McLean.[2]
  • Hazel Levesque – daughter of Pluto (known as Hades to the Greek). Recently returned from the dead. She is the girlfriend of Frank Zhang.[2]
  • Frank Zhang – son of Mars (Ares to the Greek) and legacy of Poseidon. He is the boyfriend of Hazel Levesque. He briefly has tensions with Leo over Hazel.[2]
  • Coach Gleeson Hedge – satyr keeper of Camp Half-Blood. Hedge functions as the chaperone on board the Argo II.[2]
  • Nico di Angelo – son of Hades. He jumps into Tartarus to close the Doors of Death, but is captured by Ephialtes and Otis.[2]

Accuracy

In Rick Riordan’s works, the author utilizes ancient mythology to form the basis of his worlds. In The Mark of Athena, seven heroes journey to Rome to rescue a kidnapped friend and to recover the Athena Parthenos. This passage explores how closely linked Rick Riordan’s interpretations of Greek and Roman mythology are to the original sources. To do this, excerpts of ancient texts will be examined alongside the major encounters that the heroes face. The encounters that will be covered are eidolons, Echo and Narcissus, the Scolopendra, ichthyocentaurs, Heracles and Achelous, Chrysoar, the nymphaeum, Otis and Ephialtes, Arachne and the Athena Parthenos.

Riordan's eidolons are spirits that possess humans and automatons to kill and harm the heroes, a version of which can be found in Philostratus of Athens’ The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, where an eidolon possesses a young boy, causing him to act out of character.[3] In this story, Apollonius commands the eidolon to leave its host, similar to how Piper compels the eidolons to leave, removing them from Percy, Jason and Leo. However, eidolons are more commonly portrayed as visible remnants of the deceased, instead of possessive spirits. While these eidolons did not have a physical body, they were so life-like that they could be mistaken for the real person.[4] In Helen, Euripedes claims that the Trojan War was fought over Helen’s eidolon, while the real Helen was safely waiting in Egypt.[5] Although Riordan’s interpretation of eidolons is uncommon, it is rooted in a Greek myth.

The encounter with Echo and Narcissus offers a different interpretation of the original myth. Narcissus was an extremely handsome hunter who broke many hearts. Nemesis, the Greek goddess of revenge, cursed Narcissus to fall in love with his reflection, causing him to stare at his mirror image until death. Echo was a nymph who loved Narcissus, but when spurned, she wasted away until only her voice remained.[6] When the heroes encounter the pair, Narcissus’s vanity remains unchanged, but Echo’s behavior differs. Instead of becoming heartbroken and wasting away, she is determined to save him so that he does not suffer the same fate. By making Echo steadfast in her goal, Riordan provides Echo a greater dimension of character than in the original story. She is no longer fading away from self-pity, but is fueled with purpose to save the man she loves.

The Scolopendra is a giant shrimp-like monster[7] that attacks the heroes’ ship in the novel, which withdraws after being pelted by Greek fire. Though the physical description of the monster remains accurate to mythology, no hero is ever depicted facing the Scolopendra. Its parentage is also unclear, but Riordan attributes it to one of Keto’s monstrous children since she is the goddess of sea monsters. Keto’s domain is never formally specified, but one of the earliest references to her children is Scylla,[8] a terrifying sea monster that guards the Sea of Monsters.

Unlike other mythical creatures and encounters, most knowledge about the ichthyocentaurs is rooted in artistic renditions, such as mosaics and statues. Ichthyocentaurs have a humanoid upper body, the front legs of a horse, and the lower body of a fish.[9] Since there is not much literature about these ichthyocentaurs, Riordan gives them a new backstory. Because of their resemblance to centaurs, the ichthyocentaurs become the aquatic equivalent of Chiron, training merpeople instead of regular heroes. Riordan also includes a gulf of tension between the ichthyocentaurs and Poseidon, as they choose not to meet with one of the heroes, who is a son of Poseidon. However, this strain is unsupported by the surviving ancient art, as in one mosaic, Poseidon is accompanied by an ichthyocentaur, which suggests companionship.

As the story progresses, the heroes must obtain Heracles's permission to enter the Mediterranean Sea, for which he demands Achelous's horn. Riordan blends two retellings of the Greek myth in the novel, describing a series of events where Heracles defeated Achelous for Deianira's hand in marriage, breaking off one of Achelous's horns, which became a cornucopia. The first variation Riordan draws inspiration from is also one of the earliest records of this event: Heracles fought Achelous over Deianira, breaking Achelous’s horn in the process. However, the story claims that Achelous trades his broken horn for the horn of Amalthea, the horn of plenty.[10] The second variation that Riordan blends with the first claims that Heracles diverted a river while fighting Achelous, and the resulting broken horn became the cornucopia.[11]

The heroes’ journey through the Mediterranean Sea is abruptly interrupted by Chrysaor and his crew of pirates, who are half man, half dolphin. The crew eventually scares off Chrysaor's crew by invoking the name of Bacchus and, soon after, dispose of the pirate as well. In the original Greek myths, Chrysaor was born holding a golden sword,[12] which Riordan interprets as being exceptional at swordplay. As a son of Poseidon, Chrysaor becomes a ruler in his father’s domain: a pirate of the seas. For his crew, Riordan draws inspiration from the story of a pirate crew who kidnapped the wrong god. In this tale, Dionysius drives the pirates insane and turns them into dolphins.[13] In the novel, Chrysaor found those who were not fully transformed and formed a fearsome pirate crew.

When several heroes venture into an abandoned nymphaeum, they encounter nine vengeful nymphs who attempt to drain the heroes’ lifeforce. Riordan maintains the nymphaeum’s function as a shrine for the nymphs,[14] but develops a new and malevolent backstory. In the novel, the nymphs nursed Zeus when he was a baby,[10] and their life forces were tied to the nature of the surrounding area. One day, a son of Jupiter promised them a life of luxury and happiness if they were to move to Rome. To do this, they had to tie their anchors to the shells in a nymphaeum, which sustained them with fresh water from the aqueducts of Rome. However, Rome did not last. The nymphaeum became buried when the city fell, effectively cutting the nymphs off from water, and for over a thousand years, the nymphs withered away, plotting revenge. While this story of malevolent nymphs has no mythological basis, the usage of the nymphaeum as a shrine for the nymphs does have roots in history.

The heroes later encounter the twin giants Otis and Ephitalies, who have attempted to reach Olympus by stacking up mountains, which aligns with past mythological references.[10] However, the rest of their description deviates significantly. In the novel, the twins are the sons of Gaea and Tartarus, bred to specifically oppose Dionysus. Riordan depicts them as about 9 ft tall, half the size of normal giants, which is a direct contradiction to their mythological description. In the myths, the giants are sons of Poseidon and Iphimedia, and are 54 feet tall.

At the story's climax, one of the heroes, a daughter of Athena, completes a set of deadly trials beneath Rome, ultimately facing off against Arachne, who is hungry for revenge. While the trials have no root in Greek myths, Arachne's hatred for Athena remains the same. In the ancient stories, Arachne was turned into a spider for daring to disrespect the gods.[6] However, in Riordan’s version, Arachne became a ginormous hybrid, half-woman, half-spider. While Arachne cannot lash out at Athena directly, she gets her revenge by killing almost every child of Athena through her deadly trails.

In the story, the Athena Parthenos was stolen by the Romans, who intended to break the Greeks’ spirit by literally taking the physical embodiment of Athena. It eventually ended in Arachne’s cave, where she kept it as a treasure for centuries. Bringing the statue home would repair the rifts between the Greeks and Romans after centuries of strife. In real life, the Athena Parthenos, an ivory and gold statue of Athena,[15] mysteriously vanished. Some theorize that the Athena Parthenos was destroyed during the Persion invasion of Athens.[16] Yet others theorize that it, a copy of the statue,[17] was taken to Constantinople.[18] Since the Byzantine Empire was initially from the Roman Empire, Riordan may have been inspired to attribute the disappearance of the Athena Parthenos to the Romans.

The mythological encounters that the heroes face demonstrate Rick Riordan’s interpretations of ancient Greek sources. This analysis of The Mark of Athena demonstrates how Rick Riordan links his world to the ones found in mythology.

Composition and marketing

Rick Riordan had been working on The Mark of Athena since the completion of The Son of Neptune.[19] He collaborated with John Rocco for creating the book's cover.[20]

During his tour to promote the last book of The Kane Chronicles, titled The Serpent's Shadow, Riordan read part of the first chapter of The Mark of Athena. The cover and full first chapter were also released on Disney's The Heroes of Olympus website.[21] On September 27, 2012, Riordan confirmed that there would be a first US printing of 3.5 million copies.

Release

The Mark of Athena was released on October 2, 2012. Since then, it has been translated into many languages and released as a hardcover, e-book, audiobook and paperback.[22] It is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook formats. During its first week, The Mark of Athena sold about 237,000 copies.[23]

Reception

The Mark of Athena received positive reviews from critics. Carrie R. Wheadon of Common Sense Media rated the novel 4/5 and commented, "Holding a fast-paced fantasy-quest-adventure together with seven different heroes that deserve almost equal weight has the potential to really weigh the story down", adding, "sometimes the action stops and readers will want to get back to their old pal Percy again". However, she finds that "overall, every hero takes a turn at being awesome."[24] Karen Rought of Hypable applauded Riordan for his "trademark humor", noting that his "clever lines" are "new, improved, and back with a vengeance". She appreciated the balance in the book, commenting that "[t]he funny moments weigh equally with the emotional bits" while noting it "slows down periodically to take note of everyone’s situation".[25]

Kirkus Reviews felt that the pace initially drags, during which the demigods resolve their relationships and attempt to solve both the prophecy and nightmare visions, while positively noting that the pace picks up mid-way and elements of humor begin to appear. They opine that much of the tension present in earlier books is missing. Kirkus concludes their review by writing, "Here, Riordan’s infectious love for his subject matter really comes through, even as he takes some real risks with his characters."[26] Conversely, The Horn Book Magazine observed, "Riordan's likable, strong, distinct characters drive the narrative in this rousing continuation of the saga."[27] Zach Dalzell of Scholastic writes that the novel is filled with "fascinating mythology, a bold sense of adventure, and intriguing love stories all tinged with Riordan's signature demigod humor", adding, "Mark of Athena doesn't disappoint as the Legend of Percy Jackson sails on."[28]

Few reviewers, including Meann Ortiz of GMA Network, criticized the multiple perspective format of the novel. Ortiz felt the different perspectives were tiresome and noted that the plot was very similar to that of previous books, saying it was a "testament to Riordan’s skills that the books never end up being too boring and predictable." He also noted "girlfriend" and "boyfriend" were "bandied around more times than necessary to establish who is with whom". However, he found it interesting to watch the characters grow up in another installment of the series and praised the cliffhanger ending.[29] A reviewer from The Guardian was less troubled, calling this "the best in the series so far" and praising its "funny bits", but concurred with Ortiz on the perspective format, which they felt was lopsided in favor of Annabeth, Percy and Jason.[30] In contrast, Benjamin Boche of KidsReads enjoyed having multiple narrators, writing, "Each one brings a breath of fresh air to whatever is happening and their unique perspectives keep things interesting." He adds, "There are many characters to juggle, but everyone has an important role and all their actions and storylines fit together seamlessly."[31]

Rebecca Fisher of Fantasy Literature rated it 3.5/5, writing, "Though it suffers a little from middle book syndrome, with nothing started and nothing finished, Riordan makes sure that Annabeth’s quest remains the key focus of the book, letting it drive the course of the otherwise sprawling narrative." While observing the narrative "can get a bit cluttered at times", Fisher appreciated "his [Riordan's] droll sense of writing style" and "contemporary updates on Greek and Roman mythology."[32] Booklist similarly appreciated the mix of various elements, opining, "Throughout the novel, the juxtaposition of humor and terror makes both aspects of the writing more vivid."[33]

Sequel

Main article: The House of Hades

The following book of the series, The House of Hades, was released on October 8, 2013.[34]

References

  1. ^ a b c "The mark of Athena". LC Online Catalog. Library of Congress (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Riordan, Rick (2012). The Mark of Athena. New York: Disney-Hyperion. ISBN 978-1-4231-4060-3.
  3. ^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "Book 1: Chapter 1: Section 3". Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.philostratus_athens-life_apollonius_tyana.2005. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  4. ^ Barasch, Moshe (2005). "The Departing Soul. The Long Life of a Medieval Creation". Artibus et Historiae. 26 (52): 13–28. doi:10.2307/20067095. ISSN 0391-9064.
  5. ^ Holmberg, Ingrid E. (1995). "Euripides' Helen: Most Noble and Most Chaste". The American Journal of Philology. 116 (1): 19–42. doi:10.2307/295501. ISSN 0002-9475.
  6. ^ a b Henderson, Jeffrey. "Book I". Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.ovid-metamorphoses.1916. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  7. ^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "Aelian: Prologue". Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.aelian-characteristics_animals.1958. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  8. ^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "Book 1". Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.homer-odyssey.1919. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  9. ^ "ICHTHYOCENTAURS (Ikhthyokentauroi) - Greek Fish-Centaur Sea-Gods". www.theoi.com. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Henderson, Jeffrey. "Apollodorus: Book I: Chapter I". Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.apollodorus_mythographer-library.1921. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  11. ^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "Book I". Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.diodorus_siculus-library_history.1933. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  12. ^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "THEOGONY". Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.hesiod-theogony.2018. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  13. ^ "Hymn 7 to Dionysus, To Dionysus". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  14. ^ "Oxford Reference - Answers with Authority". Oxford Reference. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  15. ^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "Pausanias Description of Greece: Book I: Chapter I". Loeb Classical Library. doi:10.4159/dlcl.pausanias-description_greece.1918. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  16. ^ Kousser, Rachel (2009). "Destruction and Memory on the Athenian Acropolis". The Art Bulletin. 91 (3): 263–282. ISSN 0004-3079.
  17. ^ McDaniel, Spencer (January 27, 2020). "What Really Happened to the Athena Parthenos?". Tales of Times Forgotten. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  18. ^ Cartwright, Mark. "Athena Parthenos by Phidias". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  19. ^ Riordan, Rick. "Rick Riordan's Twitter". @camphalfblood. Disney-Hyperion. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  20. ^ "Rick Riordan Makes His 'Mark'". Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  21. ^ Riordan, Rick (September 27, 2013). "The Mark of Athena Excerpt" (PDF). The Heroes of Olympus. Disney-Hyperion. pp. 1–12. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  22. ^ "Editions of the Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan".
  23. ^ "A Home Run for 'Hades'". Publishers Weekly. October 18, 2013. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  24. ^ "The Mark of Athena: The Heroes of Olympus, Book 3 - Book Review". Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  25. ^ "'The Mark of Athena review': Riordan doesn't need Hazel to strike gold". October 8, 2012. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  26. ^ "THE MARK OF ATHENA by Rick Riordan - Kirkus Reviews". Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  27. ^ Riordan, Rick $0(DLC)345342; Riordan, Rick (April 29, 2018). The mark of Athena. Hyperion. ISBN 9781423140603. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via kcls Library Catalog.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  28. ^ "Book Review: Heroes of Olympus Book 3: Mark of Athena - News For Kids, By Kids - Scholastic.com". www.scholastic.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  29. ^ Ortiz, Meann (October 12, 2012). "Rick Riordan's 'The Mark of Athena' is a hit-and-miss affair". GMA Network. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  30. ^ "Heroes of Olympus: the Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan - review". The Guardian. November 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  31. ^ "The Mark of Athena: The Heroes of Olympus, Book Three - Kidsreads". Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  32. ^ "The Mark of Athena: A bit of middle book syndrome, but still action-packed - Fantasy Literature: Fantasy and Science Fiction Book and Audiobook Reviews". www.fantasyliterature.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  33. ^ Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan - Booklist Online. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  34. ^ "First Printing of 3.5 Million Copies Ordered by Disney for Rick Riordan's Latest Book" (Press release). Printing Impressions. September 27, 2013. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mark_of_Athena
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