Who Stole Poseidon’s Trident?

Poseidon’s trident is his most prized possession. It was forged by the cyclopes and has magical powers. Now, it’s gone missing, and the Oracle (detective) must figure out who took it!

This interactive mystery includes: instructions on how to play; extension activities; a setup story; a list of clues; a list of characters and detailed character descriptions; character worksheets and a detective checklist! Below is the setup story and an example of a character description.

The Story...

At this year’s annual Mount Olympus Family Reunion, tragedy struck when Poseidon’s trident was snatched! The guests, the major Gods of Greek mythology, were eating fine foods prepared by Demeter, petting Hades’s three-headed dog Cerberus, or receiving finely-crafted gifts from Hephaestus when Poseidon rushed in, accusing the others of the crime! Now, Zeus has ordered that the Gods not leave Mount Olympus until the culprit is found. Although the fun of the Family Reunion is ruined, there may still be a chance of justice – can you sort out who stole the trident and restore order before all-out war between the Gods breaks loose?

Character Description Example

Hermes, Messenger of the Gods, God of Travel, Trade, Language, and Thieves- Given that he’s the God of Thieves, Hermes might seem like a prime suspect in this case. However, of course, he is adamant that this is not true. Hermes is the son of Zeus and the messenger of the Gods. He wears winged sandals that allow him to fly extremely quickly through the air. His patron animal is the tortoise. Although Mount Olympus has plenty of servants, Hermes, ever the socialite, was eager to help serve food, take the guests’ belongings at the door and put them into the coat closet, and generally oversee the Reunion. He doesn’t like how divided the Gods are and wants them to live in peace again. After the theft of the trident and the breaking of the window, Hermes flew down to the surface to try to find the trident, but had no luck. Instead, he says he found several bits of jewelry that Hephaestus gifted to the partygoers, shattered after their long fall. There was one symbol on each piece of jewelry: one serpent, one bird of some kind, and one dog.