Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

As the most powerful beings in Greek myth, the Olympians dictate how those beneath them live, including what actions are acceptable and what rules to follow. By doing so, the gods create societies among themselves and for the humans who worship them, and through the exploration of godly rules and punishments, as well as Percy’s comparison of ancient Greece to modern times, Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods explores how society functions. Merriam-Webster defines society as “a community, nation, or broad grouping of people having common traditions, institutions, and collective activities and interests.” This definition applies to both the gods and humans of ancient Greece, and Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods reveals how human society mirrors that of the gods. When they took power from the Titans, the Olympians shaped the world according to their preferences and moral codes. Each god named certain plants and animals as sacred, and these also became sacred to the humans who worshipped the gods. In addition, the gods established that failure to follow their rules would result in punishment. Together, this forms the institution of the gods, and collective traditions like the hearth at the center of the home show how humans conform to societal expectations set forth by those in power.

In addition to adopting godly traditions, the rules that the gods established illustrate how being part of society is a choice. As the goddess of the hunt, Artemis helps all who hunt for food and are kind to nature, but if someone “kill[s] too many animals for no good reason, Artemis [will] have a few things to say” (338). Artemis determines proper hunting practices (for survival) and improper hunting practices (for sport), which she then backs by punishing any human who kills for fun. Because Artemis has the power to enforce her rules, she becomes a leader and makes sure the rules of her society are followed. Thus, if humans wish to live in her society and avoid punishment at her hand, they hunt strictly for survival and not for the sport of killing. Alternatively, humans can reject society and do as they please, but this decision has consequences. Living outside Artemis’s society, for example, means that a person isn’t subject to punishment under her rules but also introduces the possibility for people to over-hunt and destroy their source of food. As Artemis’s societal institution shows, being part of a society means choosing to acknowledge and respect its rules even if the people don’t always like those rules.

While the relationship between gods and humans explores what makes a society function, Percy’s commentary on the activities and norms of ancient Greek culture shows how societies evolve over time. During the rule of the Olympian gods in ancient Greece, the gods commonly wed their siblings or even their adult children. Throughout the book, Percy notes that this practice isn’t part of his modern-day world of Greek myth, showing how the culture of the gods and demigods has changed. In addition, this stark difference symbolizes how beliefs influence societal norms. In ancient Greek times, the gods viewed siblings differently than in the modern-day US, believing that, once grown, siblings were adults and, thus, fundamentally different people than they were as children. In this light, siblings like Zeus and Hera saw nothing wrong with getting married and having children of their own because their godly status and power meant that their offspring would be strong. As immortals, the gods allegedly weren’t susceptible to the problems of human genetic inbreeding, so having children with other gods served only to purify bloodlines. Repeatedly, Percy acknowledges that, while he finds this practice distasteful and confusing, he understands why the gods did it, showing his ability to respect other societies even when he doesn’t agree with their institutions.