The Heroes of Olympus, #3
The Mark of Athena
by Rick Riordan
Contents
XLVII
Overview
Bacchus halts the giants’ spectacle, criticizes their showmanship, and demands the demigods prove themselves before he helps. He transforms the arena into a fully restored Colosseum packed with Lares, seating Piper and Nico beside him. The stakes shift as divine aid hinges on Percy and Jason delivering an impressive victory.
Summary
Bacchus arrives, silencing the machines and animals. He chastises Ephialtes and Otis for tasteless showmanship, unsettling the giants with his presence and sardonic appraisal of their devices. Jason urges action, but Bacchus insists the demigods must prove worthy before he intervenes, acknowledging their earlier offerings while withholding direct aid.
When Percy presses him, Bacchus proposes a “proper spectacle.” He dissolves into mist, and Piper and Nico vanish with him. The hypogeum begins to rise as panels open overhead, sunlight floods in, and the roar of an audience builds.
The platform emerges inside a reconstituted Colosseum. Special effects restore seating, canopy, imperial box, and arena floor, while thousands of shimmering Lares fill the stands. Props, sand, ditches, and even a small lake appear, turning the battleground into a grand stage for combat.
Bacchus takes the emperor’s box, placing Nico and an injured Piper beside him with attendants. He commands the crowd’s silence, then goads both sides: the giants to face him and the heroes to entertain him. He confirms that Juno’s chosen must earn his “grand finale,” setting the terms for the coming fight between Percy and Jason and the twin giants.
Who Appears
- Bacchus (Mr. D)God of wine; halts the chaos, rebuilds the Colosseum, and demands the demigods impress him before aiding.
- Percy JacksonChallenges Bacchus for help; prepares to face Ephialtes and Otis under the god’s imposed spectacle.
- EphialtesTwin giant ringmaster; rattled by Bacchus’s arrival yet eager to destroy the heroes.
- OtisEphialtes’s twin; supports his brother and bristles at Bacchus’s mockery.
- Jason GraceReady to attack; stands with Percy, awaiting Bacchus’s cue to battle the giants.
- Piper McLeanWhisked to the emperor’s box; her injured shoulder tended while she watches the staged arena.
- Nico di AngeloPlaced beside Bacchus in the emperor’s box to witness the impending fight.
- Lares of RomeGhostly crowd filling the Colosseum, summoned to witness Bacchus’s demanded spectacle.