In Chapter 6, Amos asks Carter to consider waking a god (Ra) who may not want to be awakened. Given Ra’s history with the other gods and how they betrayed him, would Ra be in his rights to refuse to help against Apophis? Why or why not? Does having the power to help come with an obligation to do so? If so, why? If not, why not, and what justifies not helping in a dire situation?

Riordan stays true to Bes’s depiction in his novel. However, when Bes moved from Egyptian to Roman culture in the past, Bes’s image was changed. Explore the line between shifting culture and appropriation: Did the Romans appropriate Egypt’s culture by changing the stories and image of Bes? If so, in what way? If not, what would you call the Roman changes?

Nekhbet, the vulture goddess, believes that only the strong should survive and that the weak should be destroyed. Based on her character in the novel, how do you think she defines strength? What qualities in a person would lead her to let them live? What qualities would lead her to destroy someone? What qualities would you deem as strong or weak if you were Nekhbet? Support your answer and arguments with evidence from the text.