| “ | This lighthouse will draw the gods to me like moths to a candle. Once I have consumed their power, I will raise a great city. I will build a new Alexandrian library with all the knowledge of the ancient world, both Greek and Egyptian. As a child of Athena, you should appreciate this. As my high priestess, think of all the power you will have!" | ” |
–Serapis to Annabeth Chase in The Staff of Serapis. | ||
Serapis is a Ptolemaic god of the Underworld and fertility. He is also the main deity of Alexandria.
History[]
Serapis was initially a minor god, but Ptolemy, who wanted to unite the Greek religion with the Egyptian one, discovered his statue and brought it to Alexandria where he had all the Greek and Egyptian priests pronounce auspices and spells and it was established that Serapis was the supreme god from worship above each other.
This allowed him to absorb the power of the other gods and grow stronger. He wrested control of their respective domains from Hades and Osiris, made Cerberus his scepter, and forced Isis to become his wife.
However, Ptolemy tried to become a god himself, but failed, and his family was cursed and weakened with each generation until the death of Cleopatra, when the Romans took over Egypt. Because of this, Serapis was forgotten and fell into a deep sleep, losing his power.
The Kane Chronicles[]
The Serpent's Shadow[]
Ziah Rashid explains to Carter Kane, how the Greeks shortened the name of Osiris-Apis to Serapis.
Demigods & Magicians[]
The Staff of Serapis[]
After getting the Book of Thoth, Setne begins experimenting with combining Greek and Egyptian magic. To this end, he uses the Book to awaken Serapis to see how the magicians and demigods would react to him. Serapis seemed to think Setne wanted to control him but lacked the power, but it was actually just a test of his new abilities and his enemies capabilities. Serapis awakened the three pieces of his staff and they began to come together and make their way to Rockaway Beach where Serapis began building a replica of the Lighthouse of Alexandria to draw the other gods to him like a beacon and feed on their essences to become more powerful and take over the universe. His staff's attempts to reunite and reach him draws the attention of Annabeth Chase and Sadie Kane who team up to stop him.
Despite their best efforts, the three pieces of his staff merge together and enter the maelstrom in the apartment building Serapis is cannibalizing to form his lighthouse. As the maelstrom carries the staff towards him, Sadie transforms into a kite to stop it and orders Annabeth, protected from the maelstrom by a force field, to distract Serapis. Annabeth is able to get his attention, causing him to freeze the maelstrom and face off with her. The distraction allows Sadie to drop one of Walt's camels on top of the staff and pin it down so that it can't reach Serapis. Serapis comes to believe that Annabeth is there to be his new high priestess and she distracts him by getting him to explain about his past and what he is up to while Sadie, unnoticed by the god, prepares a spell. Sadie is shocked to learn about Setne's involvement in Serapis' return but manages to bind him with a spell before he can get to his staff. However, Serapis easily breaks free of the bindings, enraged that Sadie tried to bind and name him and turns his recovered staff on the two girls. Sadie manages to collapse the building on top of Serapis, burying him for a short time, but he eventually manages to break free, intent on killing Sadie and Annabeth and using them as a gateway to draw Athena and Isis into the world, Athena to consume and Isis to enslave. However, Athena returns Annabeth's Yankees Cap and Annabeth realizes they need to destroy the dog head on his staff representing the future to destroy him. While Annabeth uses the cap to sneak up on an oblivious Serapis and his staff, Sadie stalls him with a bluff that she has cast a death link on him that will destroy him if he kills her. Serapis hesitates, but eventually sees through the bluff and goes to attack her. However, Annabeth has reached the staff by that point, removes her Celestial Bronze dagger from it and kills the dog's head. Doing this destroys Serapis' staff and his future without which he's nothing. As Serapis yells that they will never attain the crown without him and will all perish, his staff turns into a fireball that consumes and destroys him before extinguishing itself. Sadie and Annabeth realize from what Serapis told them that Setne is trying to use the crown of Ptolemy to become immortal and that Serapis was likely just a test of their capabilities like the petsuchos was of Carter and Percy's a few weeks before.
The Crown of Ptolemy[]
When confronted by Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, Setne reveals that he summoned Serapis as an experiment and watched the battle between Annabeth, Sadie and Serapis from a distance, taking notes on the spells Serapis used to build his lighthouse. After cross-referencing those spells with the older magic in the Book of Thoth, Setne was able to find the perfect combination to make him a god himself.
Appearance[]
Serapis was three and a half feet tall. He wore only a pair of swim trunks in a Hawaiian floral pattern. He has muscular arms and his body was wavy with muscles. His bronze skin was covered with shimmering tattoos of hieroglyphs, Greek letters, and other languages. His face was framed by long dreadlocks with rastafári. A curly Greek beard grew to the collarbone. His eyes were sea green, like those of Poseidon and Percy Jackson. Although bearded and hairy, he is one of the most attractive deities, a sort of older wild surfer. His hat, however, spoiled the look: a cylindrical wicker basket embroidered with images of pansies, it's modius representing the Inferior World.
His features seemed to change, reminding Annabeth of many different Olympian deities: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Something about his smile still reminded Annabeth of her mother, Athena.
Personality[]
Serapis is an extremely power hungry individual. He plans to feed on the essences from both the Greek and Egyptian pantheons, in order to become strong enough to overthrow them and rule the universe as a supreme deity.
Serapis is also very narcissist and arrogant, he even calls Setne, one of the most powerful magicians of all time, a fool who doesn't understand the power he had summoned.
Abilities[]
As a hybrid Greco-Egyptian god, Serapis is an incredibly powerful god in his own right. It was stated that if he ever rise to full power again, he would absorb the essence from the other gods again and rule as the supreme deity. With his staff, Serapis stated he would be able to control the past, present and future.
- Telekinesis: Serapis is able to move things with his mind, without touching them. In The Staff of Serapis, he was able to create and move a maelstrom of bricks, pipes, boards and other debris, in order to build his new lighthouse. He had also throw a bathtub against Annabeth.
- Essence Consumption: Serapis planned to feed on the essence from the other gods, gaining their power and taking over their place as ruler of the universe.
- Mystiokinesis: As a hybrid Greco-Egyptian God, Serapis is a master of both Egyptian and Greek magic. He was able to easily deflect and defend from most of Sadie's spells, even the Ha-di.
- Chronokinesis: According to Serapis himself, he will be able to manipulate the past, present and future when he achieves full power and wield his staff.
Relationships[]
- Isis: Serapis in his moment of greatest glory fell in love with Isis and forced her to become his wife. During his brief awakening he intended to bring her back to her side.