Phillip McCaffrey was a botanist and the father of Meg McCaffrey. He was killed on the orders of Nero.
History
Early Life
At one point Mr. McCaffrey met and had a relationship with
Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest and agriculture and had a daughter with her. He loved and cared for Meg greatly.
Throughout Meg's childhood, up until she was five, her and her father lived in Aeithales in Palm Springs, California. Aeithales was the place that he did all his research which eventually led him to discovering the seven seeds that would eventually grow into the seven primordial dryads. Dr. McCaffery told Meg about the importance of the seeds and made her promise that they must be planted in Aeithales one day.
Fleeing Aeithales
Before he and Meg had the chance to plant the seeds, Caligula managed to put Dr. McCaffery under heavy debts, eventually driving him bankrupt and forcing him out of Aeithales. Caligula burned down Aeithales, with it, Dr. McCaffery's word that spanned centuries, even thousands of years.
Death
About one year after Aeithales burning, he was killed by Nero to ensure his daughter's loyalty to Triumvirate Holdings. His body was discovered on the steps of the New York Public Library in Midtown, with large gashes across his stomach.
The Trials of Apollo
The Hidden Oracle
Phillip is mentioned when Meg tells Apollo that he was killed by the Beast.
The Dark Prophecy
While in Trophonius' cave, Meg sang of her sorrows and her earliest middle-aged happy times with him, as well as his death.
The Burning Maze
When Meg arrived at Aeithales, she was drowned in sorrow over the burning of her father's best work. She shows Apollo her memories of living in Aeithles and fleeting east when it caught on fire.
Later, she realized that she must fulfill her promise to her father by planting the seven seeds that had survived the fire, due to Hercules, the saguaro plant, burying them and hiding them for Meg. She manages to plant the seeds, eventually producing the seven primordial dryads, originally born when the blood of murdered Ouranos fell upon the soil of Gaea.
The Tyrant's Tomb
Phillip is seen in a memory Meg shows Harpocrates.
Physical Appearance
Mr. McCaffrey was a middle aged man with dark curly hair and green eyes. He is also described as having a broad freckled nose and kind eyes.
Personality
Mr. McCaffrey was a kind man who cared for his family.