| “ | Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war. Same as your Minotaur horn. | ” |
–Annabeth explaining why Medusa's Head didn't evaporate, in The Lightning Thief. | ||
Spoils of war are a part or parts of a monster's body or an object used by a monster that does not disintegrate when killed. They can also be a belonging of some importance that is claimed from a defeated enemy.
Description[]
Many spoils of war are seen in the Big House Attic. A spoil of war can also be the result of defeated demigods, such as armor or weapons. Some spoils of war are so disgusting and/or useless that the receivers do not accept them or simply don't want them. If it's a body part, it's likely the monster eventually regrows them as Medusa had her head cut off and used in ancient times yet was still resurrected with it to get it cut off again by Percy Jackson. In addition, when Percy faced the Minotaur for a second time, it had both horns despite Percy still possessing one as a spoil of war from their first fight.
In some cases, a spoil of war is collected from an enemy that is defeated but not killed. This is the case with Chrysaor and Achelous, both in ancient and modern times in the latter case. After defeating the Kerkopes, Leo Valdez searches their treasure for what Hecate had sent them to find, but he also claims another item that catches his interest. However, rather than claiming the entire treasure, he makes a deal with the dwarfs and allows them to keep the rest.
While many spoils of war are kept simply as trophies, others can serve a more practical purpose for the demigod in question. For example, Medusa's Head is used as a weapon by both Perseus and Percy Jackson, Percy utilizes the Nemean Lion's Pelt as body armor and Piper McLean makes extensive use of the cornucopia that she got by stealing Achelous' horn and Zethes' sword after defeating him with the help of Festus. On other occasions, demigods may sacrifice their spoils of war to a particular god in the hopes of receiving something from that god in return.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians[]
The Lightning Thief[]
During his fight with the Minotaur, Percy Jackson tears off its horn and uses it to kill the monster. When he awakens in Camp Half-Blood after the fight, the horn is one of his few possessions, having been left as his spoil of war from the fight and recovered for him by Grover Underwood, although Percy is unaware of the significance behind his new ownership of the horn.
When Percy visits the Oracle of Delphi in the Big House Attic, he spots many spoils of war kept in the attic over the years, although he dismisses it all as just "Greek hero junk."
After Percy kills Medusa, he questions why her severed head didn't evaporate. Annabeth Chase explains that once it's severed, it becomes a spoil of war for him to keep like the Minotaur's Horn. Percy then mails the head to Mount Olympus, but Poseidon later sends it back to him. Percy leaves Medusa's head with his mother who uses it to turn her abusive husband into a statue. Sally subsequently discards Medusa's head.
During the Quest for Ares' Shield, Annabeth recovers Aphrodite's Scarf as a spoil of war and later puts it in the Big House attic.
The Sea of Monsters[]
When the Colchis Bulls attack Camp Half-Blood and are defeated by Tyson and Clarisse La Rue, the damaged and now tame mechanical bulls are claimed by the camp and later used by Hephaestus's Cabin to prepare a track for the Chariot Races.
When the Stymphalian Birds attack Camp Half-Blood and are slain, they leave behind their bodies which are later cooked as a celebratory dinner by the camp.
The Titan's Curse[]
Percy's Minotaur's Horn is shown to be hanging in Poseidon's Cabin. Percy hangs his Wristwatch Shield on the wall next to it.
After Percy and the Hunters of Artemis kill the Nemean Lion, Zoë Nightshade decides that Percy should keep the spoil of war of the monster's pelt since he was the one who came up with the plan to kill it. Percy subsequently wears the pelt as a duster jacket after it's transformed by the Mist until he sacrifices it to Poseidon to ensure the safe journey of the Ophiotaurus.
The Battle of the Labyrinth[]
When Percy kills Geryon with the help of Hera, the monster's cowboy boots are left behind. However, Percy decides to leave them for Eurytion and Orthus.
When Percy kills Antaeus, he leaves behind his dirty loincloth which the disgusted Percy discards.
During the Battle of the Labyrinth, many slain monsters leave behind spoils of war that are generally discarded. One such spoil of war, which is later kept in the Big House Attic, is Kampê's Scimitars following Kampê's death at the hands of Briares.
The Last Olympian[]
Cancer leaves its shell behind when Percy Jackson kills it. However, Percy shows no interest in claiming the spoil of war and abandons it to be destroyed when the Princess Andromeda is blown up.
While visiting the Big House Attic to find out the Great Prophecy, Percy once again sees all of the spoils of war collected by demigods over the years and takes a brief interest in one of Kampê's Scimitars.
During the Battle of Manhattan, Percy faces the Minotaur which has regrown the horn that he had cut off and kept. Percy slices off both of the Minotaur's horns before killing him once again using the Minotaur's Axe which he breaks in the battle. One half falls into the East River when the monster disintegrates while the other half presumably falls when the bridge is destroyed, Percy having chosen not to claim either the axe pieces or the horns this time.
After killing the Lydian Drakon, Clarisse La Rue claims its hide as a spoil of war.
The Heroes of Olympus[]
The Son of Neptune[]
When Percy Jackson kills Stheno and Euryale using the Little Tiber, Frank Zhang retrieves two vials of Gorgon Blood from the river as a spoil of war, having learned that blood from the right side of their body can heal anything but blood from the left side is toxic. Even though the blood rightfully belongs to Percy by tradition, Frank hangs onto them in hopes of using the healing blood to cure his shortened lifespan if he can figure out the correct vial. Frank eventually offers the blood to Percy who believes that Frank had kept them a secret due to one being poison. Percy lets Frank keep them both, believing that they will need them on their coming quest.
Percy later makes a deal with Phineas to each drink one of the vials, relying on Gaea to trick Phineas into drinking the wrong vial. Percy's ploy succeeds and Phineas disintegrates while Percy's memory is slowly restored.
When Phineas is killed, his robe and slippers are left behind, but Percy discards them after pulling out the paper with the location that Phineas had written for him as part of their deal.
When Alcyoneus is killed, the giant leaves behind a pile of very expensive rocks that Frank and Hazel Levesque have no interest in collecting. At the same time, Percy defeats Michael Varus and his ghostly legion and claims the Twelfth Legion's Eagle from them to be returned to New Rome.
When Polybotes is killed by Percy and Terminus, he leaves behind a steaming heap of seaweed, reptile skin and poisonous muck that Percy simply staggers away from, completely exhausted.
The Mark of Athena[]
When Annabeth Chase tosses her knife into the Charleston Harbor to signal Percy, Octavian complains that the knife could've been evidence or spoils of war.
Hercules sends Jason Grace and Piper McLean on a quest to steal Achelous' other horn from him to humiliate Achelous even further. The two succeed, but they escape with the horn which becomes a cornucopia that Piper keeps as a spoil of war and continues to use.
After defeating Chrysaor and his men, the crew of the Argo II claim his golden mask, ship and treasure as spoils of war. Percy then sacrifices it all as a tribute to Dionysus and Bacchus after filling the ship with Diet Coke using the cornucopia.
The House of Hades[]
After defeating the Kerkopes, Leo Valdez looks through their treasure and decides to claim Odysseus' Astrolabe and Triptolemus's Almanac for himself and the crew of the Argo II while allowing the dwarfs to keep the rest. Frank Zhang later returns the almanac to Triptolemus.
After Frank slays all of the katobleps infesting Venice, Mars transforms the last one into a python for him as a reward. Frank then gives the python to Triptolemus.
After Piper and Festus defeat Khione, Zethes and Calais, Piper claims Zethes' jagged bronze sword for her own use.
The Blood of Olympus[]
Piper sacrifices her cornucopia to get the help of Phobos and Deimos against Mimas. When Mimas is killed, his severed ear is left behind, much to the disgust of Piper and Hazel. Piper than sacrifices Mimas' ear to her brothers in order to get their help in finding a way out.
When Reyna kills Orion with the help of Bellona and Athena, his mechanical eyes and bow are left behind. Having no interest in taking them as a spoil of war or to let any part of the giant survive, Reyna instead allows them to sink into Long Island Sound.
When the Gigantes are defeated by the Greek gods and the Seven, they leave behind a few spears and some burning dreadlocks that are ignored by the gods and the demigods.
Following the defeat of Gaea, Leo uses Odysseus' Astrolabe, now incorporated into Festus, to find Ogygia again and rescue Calypso.
The Trials of Apollo[]
The Hidden Oracle[]
Following the destruction of the Colossus Neronis, its headless body is left behind and is claimed by Camp Half-Blood. Percy subsequently takes it to Poseidon's palace to be reused as a statue of Poseidon.
The Burning Maze[]
After Apollo kills Grunk the Cyclops, Grunk is reduced to nothing but his skull which is left behind as a spoil of war. Apollo discards Grunk's skull, leaving it behind on Caligula's yacht.
The Tyrant's Tomb[]
When Diana kills Tarquin, his gold crown is left behind. It is presumably discarded as no one shows any interest in taking it.
The Tower of Nero[]
After the defeat of Nero, Apollo witnesses Sherman Yang negotiating a division of the belongings of Triumvirate Holdings between Camp Half-Blood and the troglodytes, the two forces who defeated Nero and thus have claim to his property as spoils of war. Apollo suspects that Camp Half-Blood is about to be flush with Greek Fire and Imperial gold weapons while the trogs will have a fabulous new selection of haberdashery and whatever lizards and rocks they can find.
Known Spoils of War[]
In Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo[]
| Monster | Item | Owner/Receiver |
| The Minotaur | Horn | Percy Jackson |
| Ladon | Claw | Luke Castellan (Now at Camp Half-Blood) |
| Hydra | Head(s) | Camp Half-Blood |
| Medusa | Head | Percy Jackson (Discarded) |
| Ares' Shield | Aphrodite's Scarf | Annabeth Chase (Now at Camp Half-Blood) |
| Colchis Bulls | Tamed bulls | Camp Half-Blood |
| Stymphalian Birds | Dead bodies | Camp Half-Blood (Eaten) |
| Nemean Lion | Pelt | Percy Jackson (Sacrificed to Poseidon) |
| Geryon | Geryon's Cowboy Boots | Eurytion and Orthus |
| Antaeus | Loincloth | Percy Jackson (Discarded) |
| Centaur | Hoof (or horn if evil variety) | A Laistrygonian Giant |
| Hellhound | Fur (Occasionally just melts away) | Many (Discarded) |
| Kampê | Kampê's Scimitars | Camp Half-Blood (Now in the Big House Attic) |
| Cancer | Outer Shell | Percy Jackson (Discarded) |
| The Minotaur | Broken Axe and Horns | Percy Jackson (Discarded) |
| Hyperborean Giant | Frozen body | Many (Discarded) |
| Lydian Drakon | Hide | Clarisse La Rue |
| Stheno | Vial of toxic Gorgon blood from the left-side of Stheno's body | Frank Zhang (Drank by Phineas) |
| Euryale | Vial of healing Gorgon blood from the right-side of Euryale's body | Frank Zhang (Drank by Percy Jackson) |
| Phineas | Bathrobe covered in ketchup and slippers | Percy Jackson (Discarded) |
| Karpoi | Grain or cereal they symbolize | Many (Discarded) |
| Michael Varus and his ghostly legion | Twelfth Legion's Eagle | Percy Jackson (Returned to the Twelfth Legion) |
| Alcyoneus | A pile of very expensive rocks | Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque (Discarded) |
| Polybotes | A steaming heap of seaweed, reptile skin and poisonous muck | Percy Jackson and Terminus (Discarded) |
| Gegeines | Dirt bits and Loincloth | Many (Discarded) |
| Chrysaor | Helmet, Ship and Loot | Crew of the Argo II (Sacrificed to Dionysus and Bacchus) |
| Achelous | Cornucopia | Piper McLean (Later sacrificed to Phobos and Deimos) |
| Kerkopes | Odysseus' Astrolabe and Triptolemus's Almanac | Leo Valdez (Almanac returned to Triptolemus) |
| Katobleps | Katobleps transformed into a python by Mars | Frank Zhang (Given to Triptolemus) |
| Zethes, Calais and Khione | Zethes' sword | Piper McLean (Lost during the Battle of Half-Blood Hill) |
| Mimas | Severed Ear | Piper McLean (Sacrificed to Phobos and Deimos) |
| Orion | Mechanical eyes and bow | Reyna (Discarded) |
| Gigantes | A few spears and some burning dreadlocks | Greek Gods and the Seven (Discarded) |
| Colossus Neronis | Headless Statue | Camp Half-Blood (Given to Poseidon to be repurposed) |
| Grunk | Grunk's Skull | Apollo (Discarded) |
| Tarquin | Gold crown | Diana (Discarded) |
| Nero | The belongings of Triumvirate Holdings | Split between Camp Half-Blood and the troglodytes |
In Ancient Times[]
| Monster | Part | Owner/Receiver |
| Medusa | Head | Perseus |
| Ladon | A Golden Apple he guarded | Hercules |
| Nemean Lion | Pelt | Hercules |
| Hydra | Hydra Blood | Hercules |
| Achelous | Cornucopia | Hercules |
Film[]
The Lightning Thief[]
After Percy kills Medusa, her head is left behind. However, rather than being claimed as a spoil of war, Annabeth suggests taking it as a useful weapon.