Disney’s Percy Jackson Just Made One Of The Most Famous Real-Life Architects Athena’s Son

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Percy Jackson & the Olympians season 1, episode 4, “I Plunge to My Death.”

Percy Jackson & the Olympians episode 4 takes the titular hero and his friends on an excursion through St. Louis, Missouri, and the Disney+ show reveals one of the most famous real-life architects is actually Athena’s son. This is a slight change from the Percy Jackson books, though it doesn’t come totally out of left field. Athena is the goddess wisdom, war, and craft in Greek mythology. The latter is Annabeth Chase’s reason for wanting to be an architect in the books and show. As she tells Percy during The Lightning Thief, “Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down.“

And Annabeth’s not the only one of Athena’s kids with big aspirations, as Disney’s Percy Jackson show credits one of her demigod children with creating a famous monument. In doing so, the series blends Rick Riordan’s story with real-world elements. It suggests a famous architect is Athena’s son, pushing the idea that anyone can be a demigod — even well-known figures viewers might not expect.

Percy Jackson Episode 4 Reveals Eero Saarinen Is Athena’s Son

Percy Jackson & the Olympians episode 4 sees Percy and his friends confronting Echidna and the Chimera at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, just like they do in The Lightning Thief. However, the Disney+ series changes some aspects of their trip to the monument. For one, it’s a temple to Athena rather than a great piece of architecture that Annabeth wants to see. It’s also revealed that it was designed by one of Athena’s children, giving the real-life location a backstory that Riordan’s novel doesn’t dig into.

In this way, “I Plunge to My Death” reveals that Eero Saarinen is actually the goddess Athena’s son and Annabeth’s half-brother. Saarinen is an architect from Finland who designed the Gateway Arch, as well as notable buildings like the Dulles International Airport. Although Annabeth doesn’t mention Saarinen by name, her statement that one of Athena’s children was the architect behind the famous arch is enough to make the connection. It’s a fun way to add some history into Percy Jackson & the Olympians’ lore, but that may not be the only reason the series includes this.

Why Disney’s Percy Jackson Changes The Lore Behind The Gateway Arch

There are multiple reasons Percy Jackson & the Olympians might have changed the lore behind the Gateway Arch, and integrating the show’s world into the real one is among them. However, making the Gateway Arch a temple of Athena also allows the series to dig deeper into Annabeth’s backstory and parentage, something Riordan’s books could have done more of. If the Percy Jackson series plans to continue for multiple seasons, it will have time to explore all the Greek gods in depth. That means Percy Jackson & the Olympians is likely to make more changes like this before the series is through.