Hesperus

In The Hesperus Prophecy, the eponymous hero guides George Washington to found the Clypeate, a secret society established to maintain the balance of power in favor of benevolence and humanity’s betterment.

Despite Hesperus appearing several times in the novel, he remains a mysterious, inscrutable figure. Both Mary and George Washington struggle to describe Hesperus, as he usually wears a dark, hooded cloak. With only an occasional glimpse of his face, they describe his facial features as both handsome and beautiful with luminescent, sparkling skin.

When Declan concludes Hesperus is a fortune-telling alien, Bruce suggests the professor suspend disbelief and think of him more like the Bible’s otherworldly creatures, sent to shape humanity’s future.

In Greek mythology, Hesperus is the god of the evening star. What the ancient Greeks called the evening star is actually the planet Venus when it appears in the western sky after sunset. In Greek mythology, Herperus’ mother is the dawn goddess, and his brother is the morning star. In The Hesperus Prophecy, the truth of his origins remains unknown.

Hesperus in the novel

Hesperus in Greek mythology

Planet Venus (Hesperus) in the western evening sky