Like countless contemporary fantasy series, the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is steeped in influence from stories that came long before. Author Rick Riordan drew from the rich tapestry of ancient Greece for his acclaimed kidlit saga, calling upon the locations, gods, monsters, heroes, legacies, and lore of Grecian mythology. Curious about the specific epics that found their way into the series? Here are the legends that colored Percy’s world and influenced both major plot points and more subtle themes. Thousands of years after they first entered the canon, these iconic myths remain among the most important foundational stories ever told. (For more insight directly from Riordan himself, be sure to listen in to his mythos story collections, Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes and Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods.)
There is no myth more relevant to Percy Jackson than that of his namesake, Perseus. This demigod was the son of Zeus, and he is described as one of the few Greek heroes whose story does not end in tragedy. Known best for his battle against Medusa and the Gorgon Sisters, Perseus was equal parts brain and brawn. Percy mirrored his mythological counterpart in his own duel with Medusa in The Lightning Thief.
One of the most significant war stories ever told, The Iliad details the Trojan War, a tragic event sparked by the capture (or willing exit, dependent on perspective) of Helen, queen to the Grecian king Menelaus. The armies of Greece trail Helen and her lover, Paris, to the city of Troy, where war erupted. On that battlefield, legends were born—most notably, Achilles, the hero of Troy known for his tremendous strength and quasi-immortality. Percy Jackson fans may recognize Achilles from The Last Olympian, whom Percy encounters while he considers bathing in the River Styx.
Perhaps the most influential story ever told, the tale of Odysseus’s long journey home from Troy houses both iconic moments and timeless themes. Fearsome foes like the deadly Sirens and the cyclops Polyphemus (who Percy himself encounters in The Sea of Monsters) are standouts on their own, yet this story is so much more than one of heroes and villains. Homer’s epic poem is one of the earliest examples of act structure matching character development in a story and, as a result, is one of the most influential stories ever told.
When considering the mightiest hero of Greek myth, one name stands proudly above all others. Heracles—or as he was known in Rome, Hercules—is a son of Zeus renowned for his unparalleled strength. After a tragic turn in his tale, Heracles sought redemptions through 12 tasks thought to be impossible; these feats ranged from the defeat of the invincible Nemean lion and the venomous, ever-regenerating Lernaean Hydra to cleaning out some particularly nasty horse stalls. Heracles is mentioned constantly throughout the Percy Jackson series by his father Zeus and other key players. Percy himself retreads the great hero’s steps quite often, notably encountering the three-headed dog Cerberus in The Lightning Thief.
While most of these myths are direct translations or faithful retellings of stories many thousands of years old, Circe takes a new route. This novel tells a section of The Odyssey from the perspective of Circe, the seemingly evil witch encountered by Odysseus and his men. As the story goes, Circe turned the entire crew into pigs, an act that is not justified in the original text. But this work adds a layer of nuance not often found in ancient storytelling. (While we’re on the topic of creative retellings, a reinvention of Circe also appeared to Percy and his pals in The Sea of Monsters, using the alias C.C. and running a beauty salon.)
Theseus is another son of Zeus whose exploits branded him as a hero. Tied to his myth is Daedalus, the brilliant inventor who created a massive labyrinth to trap the vicious Minotaur, a half-man, half-bull with a nasty attitude. Using a ball of yarn to keep track of his movements, Theseus mastered the impossible maze and eventually defeated his foe, saving the princess Ariadne. In Riordan’s universe, Percy and the gang meet Daedalus and are tasked with protecting his vast knowledge in The Battle of the Labyrinth.
Jason and the crew of the Argo are up there amongst ancient Greece’s most famous seafaring crews. Though many people confuse this adventure with The Odyssey, Jason’s journey goes much differently. On a quest to find the legendary Golden Fleece, Jason famously encounters Scylla and Charybdis, twin monsters that force Jason to either sacrifice crew members or risk losing his entire ship. Percy and his friends encounter the same threat in The Sea of Monsters, forcing them into a battle of unthinkable odds.
Fans of Percy Jackson are sure to find countless echoes of the familiar in both Mythos and Heroes, collections of mythology retellings written and narrated by the incomparable Stephen Fry. From Chiron to Perseus, this masterpiece chronicles the stories of many figures who inspired Rick Riordan’s own cast of memorable characters.
