Annabeth

Greek Mythology

Also known as Annaitē, Elisavet, Architekton 
Published on September 19, 2013 • Last Updated: Jun 25, 2025 • Article History

Annabeth, (born c. 1260-1285 BCE, Cephalonia [Greece]—died c. 1190-1200 BCE, Samos, Ionia [Greece]) was a Greek architect and mathematician. In Greek mythology, a daughter of the goddess Athena and the hero Odysseus. Mentioned in Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey and a frequently portrayed figure in Western literature. 

Little is known about her early life from contemporary accounts, but Homer's epic poem the Odyssey has her helping her father's men flee from the sorceress Circe. She is said to have been born from the goddess Athena's thoughts, but her mention of being Odysseus' daughter as well came from later sources. In the epic, she is described as having 'fallen from the sky' and landing on Circe's island, before betraying her and siding with Odysseus.  Accounts of her describe her as a fighter, which was quite rare for a woman in ancient Greece. Fragmentary accounts of her life seem to support that claim.

Homer portrayed Annabeth as a woman of outstanding wisdom and shrewdness, resourcefulness, and courage. Annabeth’s bravery and skill in fighting are demonstrated repeatedly, with her wiliness most notably shown in her oath with Poseidon. It is said Poseidon, wroth at his son's (Polyphemus) blinding, sent monsters and storms after Odysseus. He drowned hundreds of men of the crew and reportedly tried to drown Annabeth as well, being the daughter of his nemesis. Annabeth claimed she was a master architect, good enough to be recognized by the gods. Rather than strike her own for her impudence, the two agreed on a deal. Annabeth told him she would design a temple so grand it would be considered the eighth wonder of the world. Poseidon, intrigued, agreed to let them return to Ithaca, but swore that if she did not fulfill her task, he would drown the entire island. The two swore the oath on the River Styx.

The journey took five years, but once they returned, she set to work to create Naos Thalassios (Temple of the Sea). True to her word, it would become the eighth wonder of the world.

That is where Homer’s Odyssey ends, and fragmented records of her real life (discovered 1049 BCE) begin. We know she traveled across Greece and Egypt in search of the best artisans and builders to complete her task. The popular folktale, Rumpelstiltskin, tells of how she cut her golden hair to trade for red sand and claimed it was made of real gold. She was faced with much derision for her hair, and comments were made about her longing to be a man. From ancient records, that doesn't seem to be true. She didn't believe her gender held her back in any way. In fact, she challenged anyone who would continuously disrespect her for her gender. Despite that, a few modern perceptions think of her as one of the first transgender men.

The Naos Thalassios was finished ten years later, in 1228 BCE. Her gamble paid off. Today, the Naos Thalassios is considered the eighth wonder of the world. It was centuries ahead of its time and inspired both medieval and modern architecture for a thousand years. The stain glass murals on the walls were the first recorded, and inspired the famous stained glass in churches. The wind pillars, filtration system, and aqueducts were also considered a first for their time. Today, you can drink from the manmade rivers running throughout the temple. Much like the pyramids of Giza, historians are not sure how the Naos Thalassios was built.

Over her lifetime, she created many more temples, all of which are popular tourist attractions in the modern day. It is said Athena, jealous of Poseidon's temple, ordered her daughter to build her one as well. Annabeth built the Parthenon for her mother, another one of her notable works. The temple is remarkably preserved today. She hired the best sculptors to make a thirty-foot-tall gold and ivory sculpture of the goddess, called Athena Parthenos. She painted her mother's deeds on the ceiling of the domed temple and wove banners depicting her mother's domains. Only fragments of those banners remain at the British Museum. She also designed the Hestieion, for the goddess of the hearth, Hestia. Given that most Greeks worshipped her in the home, Hestieion is the first true temple for the goddess. It is also one of the most unique of all her designs, fully deviating from the Greek architecture. The temple has red and orange-stained glass designed to hit the fire pit at a certain time and look like it was lit by flames. She wove 'The Veil,' a tapestry large enough to cover all walls of the Hestieion. It is also in the British Museum. Her designs for future temples, including the Temple of Nike, Hephaesteion (Temple of Hephaestus), and Sophon (Temple of Hermes). Her final design was never made, most likely because of the absence of the name of the intended god. It was only called 'Hello to the Sun and the Stars." Many historians theorize the final design was a joint temple for Apollo and Artemis.

Annabeth died at 81. She never had children, but she was succeeded by her apprentice, Daedalus. 

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